Hit by a Car While Eating Road Kill, The Dog Recovers and Waits for His Forever Home

Spencer the Doberman was only one year old when he found himself scavenging for food next to the road, fending for himself.

Spencer, a stray Doberman, had his spine severed, but surgery and physical therapy got him back on his feet and ready for adoption, writes dogfull.

Everyone enjoys a cute dog video, but the first images Jackie O’Sullivan saw of Spencer the Doberman were anything but cute – they were a cry for help.

Spencer was in a lot of pain when he arrived at the shelter. (Photo courtesy Spectacular Spencer on Facebook)

“He looked like he’d been snapped in half,” the co-founder of Rescue Dogs Rock NYC (RDRNYC) recalls.

Spencer was brought into a South Carolina animal shelter on January 4 and appeared impossibly bent and understandably sad in the videos. Shelter staff recognized that this dog required resources that they did not have, so Jackie’s phone began to light up with notifications hundreds of miles up the east coast.

When she checked her messages, she discovered two videos of an emaciated fawn Doberman.

“They asked if we could take him, and I said yes,” she explains.

Spencer had been eating road kill on the interstate when he was hit by a car, according to Jackie. He was then taken to the shelter, where staff quickly realized that this was not Spencer’s first bad day.

His scarred body and badly cropped ears told the story Spencer couldn’t – his rescuers wondered if he’d run away from a life of abuse only to be hit on the highway.

“They got him over to our vet [in the area], which is called Paws and Claws in Columbia, South Carolina, and they could immediately tell that his back was broken,” Jackie recalls. “His only hope was to get to a specialty hospital, so they sent the X-rays over to a neurologist, so he went over there the same day.”

Jackie received some good news from the veterinarians at VCA Animal Specialty Center of South Carolina. Spencer was an ideal candidate for surgical repair of his severed spine because he was so young and could still feel his legs. He also had a stomach full of bird bones that were threatening to perforate his gut, as well as open wounds on his head and legs that needed stitching.

Spencer’s X-ray showed his severed spine and bone-filled stomach. (Photo courtesy Spectacular Spencer on Facebook)

The secondary issues would have to wait until Spencer’s spine was stabilized. The surgery had to be done right away and would cost thousands of dollars. Jackie was certain Spencer was worth it.

“He looked broken in half, but he had a strong will to live. He was giving kisses, he was eating,” she says. “He had every reason to live.”

While Spencer was on the operating table in South Carolina, his pictures were being uploaded to the RDRNYC Facebook page, where dog lovers were as taken aback as Jackie. Well wishes and donations started pouring in, and by the time Spencer left for physical therapy, he had his own Facebook page.

Spencer loves physical therapy sessions. (Photo courtesy Spectacular Spencer on Facebook)

“So many people wanted to know about him, he actually crashed our website,” says Jackie.

Spencer seemed determined to get back on his feet in the days following his successful surgery. His doctors were relieved to see that the dog was eager to begin physical therapy, and they were even more relieved when X-rays revealed that his body was safely passing the road kill bones. He wouldn’t need a stomach operation.

Spencer was transferred two weeks into his hospitalization to West Hills Animal Hospital & Emergency Center on Long Island, where RDRNYC can keep a closer eye on him as he continues with daily physical therapy.

Playing with toys, according to Jackie, is the only thing Spencer seems to enjoy more than his physical therapy sessions. He’s gotten a lot of them, and having his own toys has brought out the puppy in him.

This sweet boy loves toys and touches. (Photo courtesy Spectacular Spencer on Facebook)

Spencer has progressed from walking in a sling to walking on his own in the last month, and Jackie says he’s getting stronger by the day. Spencer, who still needs a lot of physical therapy, is now ready to move on with his life, and RDRNYC is accepting adoption applications. Jackie can hardly wait to see him enter his forever home.

“He’s a young, happy, otherwise healthy, great dog. He is ready to have a great life.”