It's a second chance for one canine whose future seemed impossibly bleak. Injured and left for dead in Thailand, Leo is now recovering in leaps and bounds in his new home in Sarnia.
It's an intense rehabilitation process for Leo, who is paralyzed. He was found dragging himself across a beach in Thailand after being hit by a motorcycle and left for dead.
His fortunes changed dramatically when a Canadian vacationing there found a way to bring him back to Canada.
But his foster caregiver, Jamie Marilyn Smith, admits he was still in rough shape, “He was pretty malnourished; not in any routine; had a severe bladder infection.”
Smith has been fostering Leo for 10 months now and was told he would never walk again. But that was before she met the team at Lakeshore Veterinary Clinic in Sarnia.
Leo has been receiving physiotherapy once a week and he also undergoes acupuncture weekly to help with nerve regeneration.
According to Dr. Sandra Taylor, “I am hoping to get a little more strength inside his ankle joints, because that's where the weak point is. So we are hoping to help strengthen the ligaments of his ankles.”
Smith says she has already noticed little differences in Leo, “Since going to physio he has been able to wag his tail, which he never has done before. So he does a happy tail wag when he sees his friends.”
Taylor is hopeful that, with enough therapy, Leo will one day walk again, “I am optimistic. He is showing that he really is determined and wants to, and that makes me happy.”
Now that Leo's health has shown improvement he is ready to be adopted into his forever home.
That’s creating mixed emotions for Smith who has fostered him this far. But she's hopeful to find the right family for him, one she hopes is local.
