Photo of Claire dog laying in red dog bed

Sometimes when animals are transferred to Berkeley Humane from local municipal shelters, their injuries are not obvious. With Claire, that was not the case. One look at her and it was clear whatever happened to her front leg was bad. Despite what must have been a tremendously painful injury, Claire was sweet and kind, and often gently pawed at her caregivers in a way that felt like a show of gratitude for the kindness she experienced.

Unfortunately, the x-rays showed what we had all feared; the leg had a severe break, suggesting extreme trauma comparable to being hit by a car. Due to the severity of the fracture, all signs pointed to amputation. As difficult as that sounds, many dogs and cats lead wonderful lives with a missing limb. However, there was something that we all saw in Claire, something really special. We challenged ourselves to look at all options.

After consulting various experts and researching the latest surgical techniques, our veterinarian committed to saving Claire’s leg by implanting a surgical plate that’s strong enough to handle her 60 pound body.

The operation was a success, but all of our focus immediately shifted to Claire’s recovery. Although it was easy to provide love and care for this sweet girl, keeping her from putting stress on her healing leg poised a significant challenge! Our dedicated volunteers kept a close eye on her for months. Every day Claire grew stronger and healthier, and three months after coming to Berkeley Humane, she was good as new and ready to be placed up for adoption — and we all hoped for the best.

Then, one weekend in May, Claire met her adopter through Berkeley Humane, and it was love at first sight! Claire’s adopter shares, “After only a weekend she seems like she has been here forever. She adopted me and my family very quickly as her companions and is extremely loving to all of us.”

Please donate to our Hope Medical Fund so we can save more animals like Claire.

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