Help Striva Recover Post-Accident

On the morning of February 15th, a Good Samaritan witnessed this sweet dog, now named Ellie, get hit by a car at a very busy intersection. Ellie appeared to be attempting to cross the street when she was struck by an oncoming vehicle and nearly lost her life.

The Good Samaritan immediately called animal control but they were not available to attend the scene for several hours. She called us in tears asking for help. We requested that she immediately rush Ellie to our vet, VCA Lakewood Animal Hospital, as she appeared to be in shock and need to be stabilized right away.

Ellie received immediate attention and a diagnosis was underway: the impact was so strong that she suffered multiple fractures on her pelvis, a dislocation on her right side, several broken ribs and a hemothorax (build up of blood and fluids in the lungs).

The Good Samaritan went immediately to work and posted hundreds of flyers in the area to find her owners. Surely she belonged to someone as she was well-fed and well groomed. She was wearing a worn out collar but no tags and she was not microchipped. She was even carrying a squeaky toy that was later found at the scene... someone was missing this girl!

Several days passed and nobody came forward. In the meantime, Ellie was losing reflexes in her hind legs, was becoming incontinent, and was not eating. Due to her lung issues, surgery was not possible and we were at a loss as to what to do.

On February 22nd, we made the decision to take her under our wing, as time is of the essence with her injuries. They need to be repaired before the fractures set in the wrong position and Ellie becomes paraplegic.

We consulted with Dr. Bierens, Head Surgeon at VCA Lakewood, and she is confident she can repair the pelvis and Ellie can make a full recovery. However, Dr. Bierens said we only have a 7 day window... after that it'd be too late!

We don't know who Ellie belonged to, but we believe that she may have been in the care of a homeless person, as her nails have been worn down indicating that she had been walking long distances.

Ellie is a sweet dog who deserves a chance at a full life again. She is only about 4 years old and has much more living to do. Whether her owners come forward or not, we must save her!

We are asking for your help to give Ellie the surgery she requires to continue her life without pain. Her bill is estimated to cost upwards of $8,000. Please assist us in providing Ellie with the surgery and the full veterinary care post-surgery she needs.

Together, we can save her life. Please become one of Ellie's angels and donate today!


*Details about Ellie's injury:

Single pelvic fractures are rare; damage and displacement at one point of this structure usually requires displacement at a second point. Ellie's injuries are no exception as she has several fractures throughout her pelvic region. Surgery is the only option for repairing these injuries and due to the sciatic nerve running immediately below the sacroiliac joint, time is of the essence to ensure Ellie's full recovery without further complications.

The left side of Ellie's ilium is completely snapped from the rest of her pelvic bones and nerve damage is severe enough that Ellie needs a urinary catheter at this time. The ilium must be reattached surgically for her pelvis to heal properly and to decompress the nerves affecting her bladder and other bodily functions.