Ranger: from full of wounds and in pain to a smiley face and happy tail

“There was no light in his eyes,” she said. “He wasn’t interested in anything. He was just so sore.”

His name was Ranger. He was small and soft, white with rust-coloured patches, and he had been attacked by other dogs. Twice. It seemed like he had more wounds on him than the medical team could count.

There was a wound on his front leg. It had been open for days. There were deep bites on his other leg and puncture wounds across his body. Under his front leg was a gash so deep it would have to be left open to drain.

The vet had to shave off almost all his fur just to find every wound.

The team knew straight away he needed surgery. His wounds had to be flushed, cleaned, and stitched. He needed the strongest pain relief the vet could give him.

And that was just the first day.

For the next four weeks, his bandages needed to be changed every day. He had to be washed and kept clean, morning and night, so infection couldn’t take hold in those raw, open wounds. Karen was so worried about him that she took him home to foster. She didn’t believe he would get through recovery in a busy Centre.

“I remember being really stressed about keeping the wounds clean and keeping him comfortable,” she says. “It was just awful seeing him like that.”

That’s what an injured animal needs when they arrive at SPCA. Not a quick fix. Weeks of care from people who refuse to give up on them.

For the first couple of weeks in foster, Ranger was very quiet and he didn’t move much. His engagement with Karen and her family was minimal. There was no light in his eyes.

As he slowly started to get better, his fur started to grow back and his pain lessened, he became much more interested in his surroundings, would wag his tail when someone came to see him, and started eating more and more. The light came back into his eyes.

As Ranger grew stronger, he spent more time with Karen’s other SPCA dog, Diesel. They’re now best mates. Diesel has taught Ranger a lot – good manners, playing nicely, confidence around other dogs, and how to trust humans. Ranger still has a lot to learn, but every day brings a new success and a new exciting adventure.

Karen says, “He always looks like he's smiling and his tail's always fluffing around because he's happy.

“And then we got through to the end of his recovery and I said, well, look, time's up we need to find him his forever home, my family decided that he was already there. So, we’re happy too.”

Ranger is one of the lucky ones. He was rescued, received urgent medical treatment, given extensive rehabilitation, and, most of all, lavished with love. He’s found his forever home and is living the life he deserves.

Karen says, “When the next animal comes in, in pain, frightened, and needing life changing care, I want to be able to say ‘yes’. ‘Yes’ to the surgery. ‘Yes’ to the pain relief. ‘Yes’ to weeks of bandages. ‘Yes’ to a bed in somebody’s house, if that’s what it takes.”

Please help us say “yes” by making a donation this Christmas to help the next Ranger who comes through our doors.

Together, we can achieve incredible results for animals in need.