On June 11, 2010, the Caddo and Little Missouri Rivers in Arkansas overflowed, flooding the popular Albert Pike Campground. Campers were caught unaware in the middle of the night by a torrent of 23 ½ feet high flood waters. 20 people lost their lives. Lucky the lab survived. The fate of his family is unknown.
Russellville, AR—(August 10, 2010)—Azzore Veterinary Specialists joins good Samaritan in the search for the original owners of a dog rescued from the Albert Pike Campground where a deadly pre-dawn flood killed 20 campers on June 11, 2010. You can view Lucky’s story at http://www.youtube.com/azzorevet#p/a/u/1/Z2gqTQ-b4Sg.
On June 22, 2010, Carolyn Jolley brought a Labrador Retriever to Dr. Terry Dew at Azzore Veterinary Specialists for surgery. “Lucky” had been rescued from the Albert Pike Campground area along the Caddo River where 20 campers had been killed in a pre-dawn flood 11 days earlier.
“We saw him down in the camping area…The guy there said this dog had been there since the floods, just pacing up and down the river and nobody seemed to be coming after him…It just broke my heart.” Lucky was non-weight bearing on his left foreleg. Carolyn and her husband rescued Lucky and took him to the veterinarian to have him checked out.
X-rays revealed a badly luxated elbow. Lucky’s leg was initially stabilized by veterinarian Dr. Katie Baeyens in Hot Springs who then referred the Jolleys to board certified small animal surgeon Dr. Terry Dew at Azzore Veterinary Specialists in Russellville, AR. Lucky underwent surgery on June 23, 2010.
Six weeks later, Lucky has healed from the surgery, but will need rehabilitation to regain full use of his leg. Dr. Dew said the motto is “No pain, no gain…The trick is to be persistent enough… If you really work and get extension where it’s locking, if you get another 20 degrees, he should be able to function normally.”
Although they have become very attached to Lucky since they rescued him from the banks of the Caddo River, Mrs. Jolley insists they want to do the right thing. “If his owners love him as much as we do, then [giving him up] would be the right thing to do.”
Azzore received an email in response to their YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/azzorevet#p/a/u/1/Z2gqTQ-b4Sg) from a woman who was trapped at Albert Pike Campground after the flood. She said she met a family with a Labrador Retriever that looked a lot like Lucky and they told her they had two, but one was swept away by the flood. Unfortunately, nothing else is known about this family. Anyone with information about Lucky’s original owners can call 1-866-838-4282.
As a specialty practice, Azzore Veterinary Specialists is an extension of the general practice animal health care communities they serve, working closely with referring veterinarians to provide the most comprehensive care and service available. Azzore does not offer routine animal health services, such as vaccinations, wellness exams, or other preventative veterinary care. Azzore clients are encouraged to communicate with the staff through a variety of traditional and non-traditional methods including phone, face-to-face consultations with doctors and staff, and email. In 2009, Azzore began using the world wide web to communicate with referring veterinarians and clients through the Azzore website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Cheree Miller | Practice Manager
AZZORE VETERINARY SPECIALISTS
The best in specialty health care for your pet
tel 479.964.4300 | fax 479.964.4306
cmiller@azzore.com | www.azzore.com
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