Santa's Helper survives bear attack

It was an April afternoon when a call came from a resident that their dog ”Santa’s Helper” was attacked by a bear and was nearly dead. He had lain motionless for a few days and the family was concerned that if Red Lake Rosie's Rescue did not help him, he would die.

He was an older dog, about 10 years old, and was a giant intact lab mix. The family said he had chased away a bear many times in the past to protect their family. 

Santa’s Helper was admitted to the Cornerstone Vet where he was administered life saving IVs and antibiotics. After 3 days he was transported to the RLRR shelter where he laid very ill for a week or more. He would only lift his head for water, food, and medicine.

He had a deep wound on his back which looked like a large bite.

Finally, Santa’s Helper got up one day. His front leg was mangled and he dragged his foot. He continued with pain reliever and antibiotics for several weeks until it was evident that the badly infected front leg had to be amputated by the vet.

He nearly bled to death when he returned to the shelter after the leg amputation. Once the bleeding began, he lost considerable blood before Karen and Kevin could get him loaded and back to the vet.

Eventually, he had enough strength and was neutered and vaccinated.

Now, a few months later, he is gaining strength. Being an older dog, it is more of a challenge for him to learn to live with 3 legs.

It has been a long healing process with many setbacks and near-death experiences. We are so happy this boy is alive and well today. This is one tough dog.

Thank you to the loyal supporters who help us pay vet bills for Santa’s Helper and others like him. Without your help he would have surely died.

Karen

RLRR