A 5-month-old terrier mix named Bucky who was accidentally run over by his owner on Friday and was surrendered to Brownsville Animal Defense has undergone successful orthopedic surgery in San Antonio, still faces 16 weeks of recovery, but will have no lingering effects from the operation, the Brownsville-based volunteer dog rescue operation said Wednesday.
Bucky is the third medical rescue dog Brownsville Animal Defense has saved so far this year, Amber Kendall, BAD rescue manager said Wednesday while driving back from San Antonio after the operation at Blue Pearl Animal Hospital on Tuesday. It was the group’s first out-of-town medical rescue, she said.
BAD is raising funds to pay Bucky’s $10,000 veterinary bill prior to his release, with about $2,500 raised so far, Kendall said.
Bucky’s owner accidentally ran over the dog, but knew the injuries were too severe for him to be able to afford to pay and surrendered the animal Monday at the BAD Adoption Center, 1740 Old Port Isabel Road.
“Bucky did not have a name and had no vet care at all,” BAD wrote in an email to The Brownsville Herald. “Bucky laid on a dirty pillow with a piece of mulch and dirty cloth strips wrapped around his open wound. His right hind leg was so badly broken that it had torn through the skin, leaving a three-inch gaping hole.”
Seeing that Bucky was severely injured, Kendall drove him to Pet Doctor 911 in McAllen, where personnel determined his only hope was to go to a specialist in San Antonio.
His injuries required a plate and 11 screws to repair, in addition to an external fixator on the right leg to allow the breaks to heal properly. The operation in San Antonio took three hours, Kendall said.
Kendall said people who want to contribute funds to Bucky’s recovery can do so through PayPal at [email protected], through a cash app at $brownsvilleanimaldefense10, and through direct donation at the BAD Adoption Center, 1740 Old Port Isabel Road.
Brownsville Animal Defense, founded in 2010, is a 501 (C) (3) volunteer dog rescue operation whose mission is to make the Rio Grande Valley a no-kill community through the adoption of healthy dogs, working with the local animal shelter and educating the public about humane dog care. Its vision is a healthy dog in every house.
The organization has adopted out about 70 dogs over the years, Kendall said. On weekends, BAD runs adoption clinics through PetSmart, and adoption is always available at the adoption center on Old Port Isabel Road.
Kendall said Bucky and the other two BAD medical rescue dogs have a Marvel Universe connection. Bucky is short for Bucky Barnes, a soldier who gets greatly injured, receives a prosthetic arm and becomes a great warrior. The other two are both medical amputees. Pogo was adopted and Ankin is still recovering.
For additional information, go to brownsvilleanimaldefense.org
