On New Year’s Eve, a lucky dog managed to survive a car collision and being stuck to the ground overnight, all thanks to the swift response of rescuers. Streehearts Animal Rescue team received an urgent call from Flint, Michigan’s 911 center concerning the unfortunate canine. The poor animal had been hit by a car and had remained lying in a woman’s backyard for more than a day, exposed to the freezing weather. Fortunately, the rescue team arrived just in time to save the dog’s life.
Streethearts Animal Rescue shared on their GoFundMe page that upon their arrival, the traces left behind in the untouched snow validated the story. The location, which was a notorious area in Flint, turned out to be the home of an unexpected resident – a Golden Retriever mix instead of a pitbull. Bill Heatley was the rescuer who attended to the dog and found him stuck and frozen to the ground. With careful and gentle handling, they were able to detach the dog from his icy confinement after ensuring that he was free of any injuries. Heatley then realized that the dog was frozen onto the ground as they prepared to move him to safety, and had to take extra caution.
According to the rescuers, an ice barrier was formed due to the melting of all the snow in contact, and they had to carefully peel the dog up from the ground. The rescuers were impressed by the dog’s good demeanor as he barely made a sound. His sweet nature led them to believe that he was a pet and not a stray dog. Heatley, who found the dog, noticed that he had a bad leg injury but was more concerned about his survival in the cold weather.
Heatley expressed relief that the dog they rescued from the cold had survived without any major health issues. The dog, who was later named Feliz, remained calm and composed throughout his ordeal. However, veterinarians confirmed that Feliz had a serious injury – a shattered femur – that required specialized surgery to repair. Despite receiving medical care for a few days, Feliz refused to eat any food, putting his recovery at risk. Heatley informed that they would need more detailed X-rays of the injury for an orthopedic surgeon to provide a better prognosis. Nonetheless, Feliz eventually ate some food from a vet technician’s hand, and the rescuers were hopeful that he would soon regain his strength.
The group is on a mission to reunite Feliz with his owner, but if that doesn’t work out, they are determined to find him a caring and supportive home. This isn’t the first time the team has saved a dog from the cold winter weather, and unfortunately, not all of them have been as fortunate. In fact, Heatley emphasizes on social media that there’s no excuse for any animal to be left outside in this harsh environment. As another round of frigid temperatures approaches the East Coast, he strongly advises pet owners to keep their pets indoors where it’s warm and safe.