By Joseph Knoop
An abandoned dog that fell off an I-65 overpass is on its way to recovering from multiple injuries, according to Zionsville Community Pet Healthcare.
“Shelby” had been left near an I-65 overpass near Lebanon on Dec. 28, according to the clinic. Drivers managed to avoid Shelby, but the dog was eventually frightened enough to fall from a ledge, slamming into the ground below.
Shelby suffered pulmonary contusions, which have since healed, and a broken elbow. She was then sent to a specialist over the New Year’s Eve holiday and given surgery to help stabilize her elbow. She is sporting a partial body cast to support the leg.
“She’s got a long road ahead of her healing-wise,” Community Pet Healthcare Events and Marketing and Practice Manager Megan Cantrell said. “She’s going to be in a cast for approximately four weeks, if not longer.”
Cantrell added that Shelby can expect to spend 12 to 24 weeks in rehabilitation to regain muscle mass. Roughly $5,000 was raised to pay for Shelby’s medical bills, according to Cantrell.
A number of individuals have already expressed interest in caring for Shelby, but Cantrell stated that the dog may have a significant amount of trust issues to overcome before she’s able to leave the clinic’s care.
“She’s got a lot of mental things to get over. She’s very untrusting,” Cantrell said. “We’re just trying to make her more comfortable. With us, she’s perfectly happy and loving and everything like that. She just takes a while to warm up to new people.”
Community Pet Healthcare has begun to redirect potential donors and volunteers towards the Humane Society for Boone County. Learn more at boonecountyhumane.org. An additional blog update on Shelby’s condition is planned for the near future at communitypethealthcare.com/blog.
