The WORST INJURY I have ever seen - GRAPHIC CONTENT! +18

DO NOT CLICK if you're not prepared to see a terrible injury!

I have been around for a while; I have seen many injuries, but this one gets the gold medal for being the worst! 🥇😰

This post is going to be unlike anything I have ever shared, and it is probably too much for many people, so it's totally OK to click out or click here to send us a small donation to help us cover Champ's medical care.
 

Hope For Paws has been working with Maison Sûre, and we're sharing the emergency alert mailbox. Sabine Roseman was the first to spot this email and called me early in the morning. I told her I'd be in the car in 2 minutes and head out. The rescue location was quite unusual - an oil refinery, a secure location, and I'm not sure how the dog got there. 
 

I have never seen an injury like this. I wasn't sure how the dog would react or how much pain he would be in, so I moved very slowly to assure him that I was there to help him. 
 

I placed the Lucky Leash around him so I would have some control in case he got scared and wanted to run away. 
 

I was amazed by how calm he was and how he surrendered to accepting help. Right away, I knew I would name him CHAMP! 🏆 
 

Rich Lujan, the kind man who emailed Hope For Paws offered to assist me, and together we picked Champ up and placed him on the soft Hope For Paws blanket. 
 

Working together, we lifted him to the Hope For Paws rescue vehicle so I could get him to CARES ASAP. 
 

As soon as I arrived at the hospital, the whole medical team was waiting for me outside with a gurney. 
 

The one thing we had to do before starting treatment was to weigh him so the correct dosage of medication could be prescribed. I then witnessed one of the most incredible things I have ever seen - Champ wagged his tail!!! He was happy to be at CARES with so many loving hands on him right away. ❤️ 
 

After the weigh-in, Champ was immediately sedated and intubated so treatment could begin. 
 

He was very dirty, so we placed him on the wet table and had to wash his whole body quickly - this would help prevent further infection.
 

Dr. Elena Morino, our ER trauma doctor, worked with the team to stop the bleeding as they cleaned the wound. 
 

I have no idea how an injury like this one occurred—he didn't have any symptoms of a dog who was hit by a car, and my guess is that his leg got caught in a machine or maybe an electrical gate. Security footage from an oil refinery showed Champ walking on all four legs the night before at 10 PM, but when he was found at 5 AM the next day, one leg was missing! There are also railroad tracks there, so no one knows - the missing leg couldn't be found.

This injury makes me think of many soldiers who were injured in battles and people who were critically injured in car/work accidents. The road to recovery is very challenging for these people - I know it because this hit close to home, especially for our Katie McKittrick, who has a personal experience with this after her brother lost his leg in a car accident. I was a little nervous about her joining in on the medical aspect of this, and I suggested she should stay away, but she handled it really well even though I know it wasn't simple for her to re-live this experience again.

If you know someone who was injured like this, please hug them - they have been through a tough challenge in life. ❤️ 
 

Dr. Mishka Williams was there next to do the surgery and remove the remaining piece of his leg so he could begin the process of healing. 
 

Please keep Champ in your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery. This guy has been through quite a lot, and with your support, his life is going to be amazing!

If you can, please join us with a small donation. It is quite amazing to me that the average donation to Hope For Paws is $12, and that with so many people participating, we can do so much! 

Of course, we would love to do even more, so please join our team today, or invite a friend or a family member to join us too so together we can change the world of so many of these animals. 
 

If you would like to foster Champ or another Hope For Paws dog, please fill out our foster application (This is, of course, for people in the Los Angeles area). Our friends at Maison Sûre will reach out and help facilitate that. 🥰 
 

You may live far away from us, but please visit one of the adoption events this weekend and ask how you can become a foster parent - it really helps organizations all over the world save more lives.

I am hoping that Champ will very soon be able to sit on the couch and cheer the teams in the Paralympic games!

Please drive safely and patiently this weekend. ❤️

Thank you so much for your support!

Eldad