Cinderella Pet spotlight: Otis
When the Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA called us in January about a young Doberman in their care who was displaying lameness in his rear legs, they suspected a neurological cause and lacked the resources to care for him, so we agreed to transfer Otis to our humane center to diagnose and treat him. Our veterinarian, Dr. David Molinas, found that Otis has a condition called degenerative tedinopathy. It’s the equivalent of a person having inflamed, torn Achiles tendons and affecting both of his rear legs.
We took Otis into our care knowing he needed significant medical care and months of rehabilitation before he would be ready for adoption. It is thanks to generous donors to our Cinderella Fund that we can provide crucial specialty surgeries like this to homeless dogs like Otis before placing them in lasting, loving homes.
Repairing Otis’s legs required a surgical specialist, and our veterinary team turned to James River Veterinary Surgery where Dr. Barnes performed a series of operations to strengthen the tendons. Between surgeries, Otis’s ankle had to be strictly immobilized with a series of pins attached to rods outside his leg to keep the joint from moving. Since having the fixator removed after his last surgery, Otis still needs careful supervision, but he is on the mend and ready to find a loving home.
Despite having undergone a lengthy recovery process, Otis is full of energy and love. His recovery time included several stays in foster care, so our adoption counselors have plenty of details from the fosters who cared for him. If you’re ready for a loyal companion, Otis is your guy!
Only two days after publishing Otis’s story, he found the loving home he’d been waiting for! His new adopter, Ivy, sent this update:
“Otis is settling in super well and I get to see more of his silly personality every day!! He’s the biggest snuggle-bug ever and always wants to be right next to me. He is an absolute angel!! Right now he’s lying on my lap, taking a post-walk nap, and having some sort of dream involving ear twitches and running.”
