KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ten thousand dollars was needed for life-saving surgery for a dog thrown from a Kansas City overpass last week. However, donations poured in and $14,000 was raised.
On Thursday, Lindey the dog will have the first of several surgeries needed to repair the damage to her legs, paws and mouth.
Last week, Lindey was spotted by a couple lying on the ground, severely injured. Someone told them the dog had come flying over the 23rd Street viaduct overpass a few minutes before.
“My first thought was, ‘Oh my gosh! Is she still even alive?’ I don’t know how she could even be alive,” said Nancy Campbell an animal rescue advocate.
A veterinarian examined the dog and said she must have tried to break her fall as a human would, by putting her paw out first. Then, her face and her front feet took the brunt of the impact.
“She’s lucky to be alive, really, from the injuries she had in the fall,” said Dr. Richard Smith with Piper Heritage Vet Clinic. “When dogs fall that far they assume an orientation in space where front legs are coming down first, followed by their head. We call that a 3-point landing and it’s not very pleasant, when front legs give out and then their chin hits the ground and causes damage to their mouth as well.”
Her rescuers at the Missouri German Shepherd Rescue Group believe Lindey landed in a snow bank, which may have helped save her life.
“She had some blood in her stomach, some compression in her lungs,” Dr. Smith said. “Obviously, there was a great deal of trauma. She was in shock. Fortunately, she was at the vet’s within 30 to 35 minutes of this happening. So that made a huge difference. They took excellent care of her and splinted both of her front legs. One paw was literally dangling.”
The doctor said there are signs she suffered from mistreatment.
“She seems to be very shy of men, leery of men. She is underweight, so we just don’t know what her background is,” he said. “The classic signs are there that there was a lack of love, but we don’t know her background for sure.”
While $14,000 was raised for her recovery, one woman donated $1,000 in hopes of launching a reward fund that will help find the person or persons responsible for injuring Lindey.
“Money talks,” said Terre Tweedie, donor. “Somebody knows what happened to that dog. Somebody saw something. Somebody bragged, and I would like to see that person brought to justice.”
To donate toward Lindey’s reward fund, visit mogsrescue.rescuegroups.org or send/deliver your donations to the addresses below:
By Mail:
Love 4 Paws
P.O. Box 13305
Overland Park, Kan. 66282
In person:
Dearborn Animal Clinic
6100 Johnson Drive
Mission, Kan.
