Brady Rolls Back to Health Following Spine Surgery

Picasso Veterinary Fund in Action! (November 2008)

In September, a dog trainer spotted Brady on a Manhattan street, dragging his hind legs. Because he was a stray, Animal Care and Control (AC&C) took in the three-year-old German Shepherd. AC&C staff immediately contacted the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals to see if the injured dog might qualify for assistance from the Alliance's Picasso Veterinary Fund (PVF). Indeed he did, and Brady was transported to Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists, a long-time PVF partner.

Specialists at the hospital diagnosed Brady's crippled condition as the result of a ruptured disk in his spine, and performed emergency surgery on their otherwise healthy patient. Following the surgery, Brady began physical therapy to strengthen his injured back. As soon as the patient was stable enough to be moved, the Mayor's Alliance arranged for him to be transported by AmbuVet to another of its PVF partners, Hope Veterinary Clinic in Brooklyn, for a closely supervised recuperation.

While recovering at the Brooklyn clinic, Brady is undergoing continued physical therapy and hydrotherapy. To augment his treatments, TTouch practioners Mary Bruce and Peggy Marks of Tavi & Friends, an Alliance Participating Organization, provide Brady with weekly healing TTouch massage. Brady can stand and take a few steps now, and his doctors are optimistic that he will regain his ability to walk on all fours. In the meantime, to reduce pressure on his back and give him more mobility, Brady is getting around skillfully with the aid of his nifty dog wheels.

As is typical with German Shepherds, Brady guards his people. But he's friendly as can be. He likes to relax at the front desk at the veterinary clinic and greet all the people and animals who come in. Since he is looking for a permanent home, perhaps this is his way of screening potential adopters! Because Brady's recovery process will require flexibility on the part of a new adoptive or foster family, he's looking for someone who is willing to care for his special needs and allow him the time it will take to, hopefully, regain full mobility. If that sounds like a labor of love you'd like to offer, please contact us at picasso@AnimalAllianceNYC.org, and we'll arrange for you to meet this exceptional and courageous dog.

In years past, Brady would likely have been euthanized at the city shelter because funds to cover his extensive medical treatment were not available. But today, the Picasso Veterinary Fund of the Mayor's Alliance is providing second chances for hundreds of dogs and cats who arrive at AC&C shelters in need of special medical attention before they can be adopted into permanent homes. But the cost for this special care isn't cheap, and the PVF relies solely upon donations from individuals and businesses that support the fund. Please help us continue to provide deserving dogs and cats with second chances by making a tax-deductible donation today.