Atlanta Lab Rescue

Update on Ben!!

Earlier this year we received a call from the Fulton County Shelter concerning a little black lab that had been found on the side of the road with abrasions to the face that were so bad, it had scraped all of the skin away. We made a couple of calls and were able to get him delivered to Peachtree Hills Animal Hospital. There they assessed the injuries and went right to work.

We named him Ben and he stayed at the clinic for several weeks, where his face was scrubbed every day and he was kept in a sterile environment to try and avoid infection. From day one, Ben captured everyone’s heart. He was a total trooper and his tail never quit wagging. It was like the injuries were worth all the love and attention he was getting. By the second week, one of the vets that had been treating him asked if we might consider her family for his forever home. They had two young girls, who had met him during a weekend visit and they loved him even though his face was hard to look at. He wasn’t ready to go home for a few more days so they made the parents sign a contract promising to adopt him and made a countdown calendar for Ben’s arrival.

That weekend Ben arrived at his new home.  The girls were thrilled and sent thank you notes to ALR with hand drawn pictures of Ben and his very happy owners. Little did they know that Ben’s story on TV had made him a star and they would soon be getting and sending notes to adoring fans. The vet clinic even made certificates of appreciation for kids who sent their own allowance to help Ben. It was truly a fairytale for Ben. He had a wonderful home, a family to love him, balls to chase and a yard to explore, but Ben still had a pretty serious injury that needed to be fixed.

A few weeks later, Ben was stronger and ready for the surgery to try to close to whole in his right cheek. It was a difficult situation as the vet was going to have to try to close a 2” gap. Surgery was completed and we weren’t sure if the stitches would hold with the tension. It looked like the eye was not going to be able to totally close, but he had gotten accustomed to that and the vet thought he would continue to adjust.

Today he good as new and as far as he knows he is like any other dog. The girls have taught him to sit and fetch and twirl (yes, twirl!). I’m not sure if there was or will ever be a dog more loved and more lucky than Ben. He visits the vet with his “mom” frequently and is often recognized in the lobby by admirers who saw his story and celebrate how far he has come.  Thank you to Peachtree Hills Animal Hospital and especially Dr. Nath and her family who gave this pup a wonderful new life!

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