Rita

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Update 10/29/08:

Rita is such a wonderfully-behaved girl. Now that the pain of the leg is gone, Rita is really enjoying life. Her foster home has been able to do absolutely anything to this girl and Rita does not mind. Rita will jump on the bed or sofa with no problem. She gets around very well. Her foster mom thinks that Rita’s new home will quickly forget that she only has three legs, because Rita does not let that be an obstacle in her way.

Rita loves to ride in the car, go for walks, and cuddle on the sofa. She is totally house trained and has wonderful house manners. She does not countersurf or trash can pick. Rita walks very well on a leash and does the cutest “sit pretty” that her foster mom has ever seen. 

Some wonderful home is going to get a fantastic girl!!

Original:

Rita was found as a stray and taken to a Pennsylvania shelter. The shelter staff was concerned because she appeared to be in considerable pain when she walked probably due to an old injury to her leg. Rita had grumbled at a couple of staff members, but was a very good girl most of the time despite her obvious pain. The shelter staff felt that she stood a better chance of getting the perfect home if she came to MAESSR. 

One of MAESSR’s dedicated foster parents went to spring Rita from the shelter and bring her home. Her foster mom could do anything to Rita with no problem. When she was taken to the vet, she showed her displeasure when the vet techs were manipulating her bad leg to get x-rays. The vet felt that Rita had a temperament problem and that she would not be adoptable; however, Rita’s foster mom did not concur with this assessment. Instead, she contacted the volunteers in charge of MAESSR’s foster home program. She explained that the only time Rita had a grumbling problem was when someone manipulated her bad leg. Pain was the cause of her crabbiness. 

The decision was made to move Rita to a different foster home so that she could be seen by the vet who treats many of MAESSR’s Springers. She would then evaluate Rita’s situation. Springer Air came to the rescue and flew Rita from Delaware to Virginia. When Rita got off the plane, she was taken immediately to the vet’s office. After reviewing the x-rays and seeing how painful it was for Rita to walk, the decision was made to amputate the leg. While she was under anesthesia for the amputation, the surgeon also spayed her. By the time the vets had finished evaluating Rita, they discovered she also had bad bacterial infections in both ears and had coccidia. It was definitely Rita’s lucky day when she was pulled from the shelter and got a second medical opinion!

Rita is now in her new foster home recovering from surgery. Her new foster mom reports that she walks extremely well on three legs! To help her through any discomfort that she may be feeling, Rita is currently on some good pain medication. Her foster mom is sure it will not be long before she is running around like a crazy young Springer should! 

Please keep Rita in your thoughts and prayers.