The first time I saw Ava at the Milo Foundation storefront (formerly in Berkeley) in March 2007, my heart melted and at the same time I wanted to look away. This little furry bundle of Rottweiler pup had two deformed front legs – one turned under severely at the wrist, the other hyperextended lax. I climbed into the enclosure with her and sat down. Ava promptly began chewing on me and hasn’t stopped since.
I learned that Ava was a three-month-old Rottie who had been found running (limping/crawling, really) along International Boulevard in Oakland. The woman who rescued her could tell that she had escaped from some horrible situation – her paws were muddy and bloody from digging her way out. Her back was scraped by the fence under which she had dug. This woman was inspired by Ava’s determined spirit to find a place where Ava could heal and become whole.
None of the dozen rescue groups or shelters she contacted could guarantee that Ava, in her severe condition, would not be euthanized, until she found the Milo Foundation. That’s where I met her. I took her home with me, where she continued to chew on me but quickly learned that there would be swift reprisal for doing so to my two big dogs. The next month was constant bite inhibition training, lots of love, and gradually increasing Ava’s activity (limping/crawling) and playing with the friendly neighborhood dogs in the soft grass of Albany’s Memorial Park.
Back at Milo during the workdays, she spent her time with Jack, a three-legged Pit Bull who kept her entertained and taught her how to be a properly handicapped dog. I had also fostered Jack and saw in both of them an indomitable cheerful spirit and an incredibly strong will to survive.
In the month I fostered Ava, it became clear that she needed a lot more care and attention than I could give. Veterinarians confirmed that her deformities were the result of being kept in a small crate or box during her growth spurt, and not being allowed to exercise, walk, or stand up. Her severely deformed front legs made walking nearly impossible. Her ligaments were not developed, especially in her front right leg, starting at the shoulder.
One weekend when Ava was at the Milo shop, a man named Andrew Ramsey walked in and saw her. Then he walked out. Then he walked back in. After learning about Ava’s situation, Andrew finally walked out with Ava in his arms, to take her home and begin her rehabilitation. That was in April, 2007 and she has been with him ever since.
With the generous support of Milo Foundation donors and the dedication of her foster dad, over the next seven months Ava received water therapy, equine laser therapy, and several sets of orthopedic braces to help straighten and tighten the hyperextended ligaments in her legs. After several initial weeks where activity was completely banned, she gradually was able to get up on all four legs and could even run in her braces.
All these therapies made an incredible difference, but Ava’s journey to healing was not complete. Her legs, especially the right one, could not be turned straight fully without surgical intervention. In addition, due to her rough start in life, her bones had not grown at even rates, so some bone fusing would be necessary.
Again thanks to the generosity of Milo Foundation donors and Milo’s emergency medical fund, Ava underwent corrective surgery on her right leg in November, 2007 and her left leg in January, 2008 under the auspices of Dr. Andrew Sams of Mill Valley, who provided his expertise for a greatly reduced fee. (Milo funds have covered half those costs; a considerable bill remains outstanding.)
True to her strong and happy nature, Ava didn’t even seem to know she’d had surgery. It was clear that – even with incisions, plates, stitches, and a cast – the straightening of her front legs enormously relieved the pain that had been increasing as she grew.
However, when her recovery form surgery was completed, it became clear that her back legs had suffered as a result of her constrained body dynamics. Sadly, she had torn her rear left cruciate (knee) ligament and suffered a hip fracture on her right. It seemed so unfair that she was not done with her surgical saga. In April, 2008 she had knee surgery, and then hip surgery in June. Again Dr. Sams reduced his fees, and these surgeries were paid for via private donations.
Recovery from the hip surgery was fairly quick. In mid-July, Ava finally began increasing her activity and strength. She is walking longer and farther on her daily outings. Three mornings a week, Andrew drives her 1.5 hours south to San Jose for water therapy with Connie Frank, who provides her services for free. Nowadays Ava smiles more, wags her tail, and is clearly a joyful pup. She loves to swim with Connie, a toy turtle or chicken in her mouth, and to visit parks with Andrew and his other dogs. She often spends weekends at my house – a nice change of scenery for her and a break for Andrew.
Thanks to the Milo Foundation, the one place that didn’t see Ava as a lost cause, this spirited creature was started on her path to healing. With the generous support of a dedicated team of health care professionals, volunteers, and foster folks, she is now a happy puppy. When she bounds toward me and then rests her head on my shoulder for a Saturday morning hug, I know I am in the presence of an invincible life force that was surely meant to be.
Patricia Baiyor has fostered dogs and puppies for the Milo Foundation. She is a professional mathematician and an amateur gardener who lives in Richmond Annex with her German Shepherd-Lab, Sugar, a human housemate, and his Lab, Blue. Andrew Ramsey, a graphic artist, lives in Albany with his 7-year-old son Jet, an elder mutt named Nikki, a young Rhodesian Ridgeback, Huck, and Ava.
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