Dog Caught in Coyote Trap Manages to Gnaw Off Leg to Free Herself
In mid-March, a man in San Antonio, Texas, spotted a heartbreaking sight: a shepherd mix loose, with her back leg stuck in a coyote trap.
The dog, scared, ran from him and he was unable to catch her.
Three days later, he spotted her again — but this time, she was missing her back leg entirely. Thankfully, this time around she was caught.
The San Antonio Humane Society took over her care, and discovered that while the missing leg was the most pressing concern, her body was torn up in other areas, suggesting she’d been attacked by other animals, too.
The poor dog, dubbed “Shelby,” was in a lot of pain with her wounds and infections, and it took “multiple surgical procedures” to get her back to health, the SAHS said.
Dr. Kristine Hawkins with the SAHS said that despite all the harm the dog had encountered, she had a sweet personality and should make an excellent pet.
“We were able to treat Shelby immediately,” Hawkins said, according to a post by the SAHS. “The first and most dramatic was an amputation to her rear leg that had been trapped in the coyote trap. The new equipment in the Leeu Naylor Medical Building allowed us to sedate her and perform full body radiographs.”
“Eventually, she warmed up enough to give us a tail wag and kisses,” Hawkins added. “Just this past weekend, we convinced her to venture outside. Now, she is absolutely thriving. She loves to run around outside and play!”
“Shelby would love a home with a doggy playmate — someone her size or smaller who wouldn’t be rough on her. She seems to be very loving and generous with kisses and is eager to receive tons of belly rubs. She would love a family who appreciates all that she has been through.”
Despite all she had suffered, the humane society echoed that Shelby was a sweetheart.
“If you look at Shelby’s smile today, you would never know everything she went through to get a second chance,” they shared, along with her story, on Saturday.
Two days after the SAHS posted about her, Shelby was adopted.
“UPDATE: Shelby found her new family!” the humane society posted in the comments.
With the therapy, medical assistance, love and care Shelby received and continues to receive, she should be able to adapt and enjoy life to the fullest as a beloved member of her new family.
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