Dachshund trades traumatic past for the good life
Today, you’d never know that Shorty the dachshund had survived life-threatening injuries. The little peanut is as friendly, loving and forgiving as he could be, and the only obvious sign on his body is a shaved patch of fur on his side that’s still slowly growing in. In just a few months’ time, Shorty went from fighting for his life to recovering fully and living the good life in a home of his own.
What happened to Shorty is both heartbreaking and frightening. A much larger dog hurt Shorty, leaving him fighting for his life. His people rushed him to the local vet, but, sadly, there was no easy treatment for the little dachshund. He would need major surgery in order to survive.
Shorty’s family didn’t have the resources for such extensive veterinary care, and they also feared that Shorty might be injured by the other dog again. For his well-being, they made the difficult decision to surrender him in hopes that a rescue organization could step in, provide care for him and find Shorty a new home if he recovered.
Injured dog comes to Best Friends for surgery
The vet reached out to Best Friends Animal Society, and Shorty was soon on his way to the Best Friends Animal Clinic at the Sanctuary. There, Best Friends vets took him to surgery right away. They flushed out his wounds and worked hard to repair the damage to his body. Shorty’s first few days were rocky, and he needed lots of pain medication to stay comfortable. But after that initial rough patch, he began recovering beautifully.
Shorty also showed everyone what a beautiful personality he has. “He is such a good dog,” says Best Friends veterinarian Dr. Nova Reaves. “Through all of his medical treatment, he never growled, tried to bite or even cried out.”
After only a few weeks, Shorty had successfully completed his treatment, and his prognosis was excellent. He moved out of the clinic and into Dogtown, where everyone immediately became smitten with him.
During his short stay at Dogtown, Shorty spent his time digging in the sand and greeting people at the Best Friends volunteer coordinators’ desk.
Forgiveness leads to a new friend
It wasn’t a surprise that before long, someone fell in love with the adorable dachshund and decided to bring him home. “Shorty is the sweetest dog,” says his adopter, Keith Saenger. “Everyone who meets him falls in love with him. He loves to snuggle and to sleep completely underneath the blankets.”
Shorty has even been able to let go of his traumatic past in order to befriend his new big brother, Simon, who was also adopted from Best Friends.
“He was very nervous around Simon the first few days,” Keith explains. “Now, Shorty and Simon are best friends. Shorty won't even go outside unless Simon goes first. They do everything together.”
Photos by Molly Wald and courtesy of Shelbi Saenger