Rogue was barely six months old when she was brought to Lort Smith's accident and emergency team. She couldn't stand up, as her legs were badly fractured.
"It was hard to see her in so much pain," remembers Lort Smith Animal Welfare Officer An Diep.
Rogue had been hit by a car. Her injuries were so severe that our vets weren't sure she would walk again.
She needed extensive surgery on both her back legs, a long hospital stay, and weeks of rehabilitation to learn how to walk again.
While stories like this are common at our not-for-profit animal hospital in North Melbourne, it never gets any easier for our staff.
"The hardest part about working with animals is not being able to explain what is happening to them or to reassure them that they are safe now, and that we will help them feel better," says An.
You could definitely tell when she was feeling better as she became more vocal, cheekier and more energetic. It was great to see the puppy in her come out.
An Diep, Animal Welfare Officer
The Rogue Mobile
After two long surgeries on her back legs, Rogue spent a week recovering in our Intensive Care Unit. As she slowly improved, Rogue's puppy playfulness started to shine through.
"Rogue missed out on a lot of socialisation and exposure while she was in recovery, but I wanted her to at least enjoy some sun. All Staffies love a sunbake!" An says, laughing.
Rogue was growing fast at the time, and wasn't allowed to walk. So the team turned a borrowed shopping trolley into a "Rogue Mobile", making sure it was cushioned and comfortable to sit in. Each day, Rogue was taken to the park to watch the other dogs, sit in the sun and enjoy the smells.
Back to dog
When Rogue was well enough, she started her rehabilitation. She needed to learn how to walk again, which took weeks of physiotherapy and regular hydrotherapy at a special dog-friendly pool.
To help "get her back to dog", Rogue went into foster care, where she had the socialisation and personal, one-on-one care all puppies need. Over the next nine weeks, Rogue transformed into a completely mobile and healthy young dog, ready to find her family.
"You could definitely tell when she was feeling better as she became more vocal, cheekier and more energetic. It was great to see the puppy in her come out," says a smiling An.
Almost as soon as Rogue was available for adoption, a lovely couple searching for a pup of their own spotted her on the Lort Smith website. These days, Rogue can be found sunbaking in the backyard with her family.
It took more than four months, thousands of dollars and lots of TLC to help her recover, but Lort Smith never gave up on her.
All of Rogue's medical bills were covered by Lort Smith, and we depend on public support to keep saving animals' lives.
A generous donation to Lort Smith today will go so far in helping us keep saving the lives of animals like Rogue. Please donate today.