Sometimes, it only takes one person to help a dog in need. Other times, it takes a whole army!
Some rescue missions require more than a call or a drive to a local shelter. Sandy Harris, a hiker from South Carolina, learned this firsthand when she stumbled upon a severely injured German Shepherd in Jones Gap State Park.
With no cell service and a 75-pound dog in front of her, Sandy knew she couldn’t handle this rescue alone. Fortunately, she didn’t have to. The very next day, an entire group of rescuers showed up at the scene!
“An Army Of Helpers”
Sandy was almost at the verge of giving up the hike due to the hot weather when she stumbled upon someone: a German Shepherd, with her front leg severely injured.
Sandy didn’t think twice. She immediately approached the dog and offered her some food. Unfortunately, that was all she could do, as there was no cell service in a two-mile area, and she couldn’t carry a dog this big alone.
She left, promising the dog she would return the next day. In the meantime, Sandy connected with the Labor of Love Transport Rescue team and Luci, a dog tracker.
In the morning, the team arrived at the scene, hoping to find the dog in the same place Sandy left her.
However, things turned out to be even better than they expected! While carrying a stretcher, pain medication and food to the dog, Sandy and the team spotted two men, Kyle and Morgan, also hikers, already with the pup.
After finding her in such a terrible condition, the men didn’t want to leave the dog alone. So, now, the army of helpers became even bigger.
“We sent out a few people to rescue a dog who was injured and deep in the woods. Those few people turned into an army. Everyone we passed on the trail was eager to help,” the South Carolina rescue shared.
Together, they slowly carried the dog on the stretcher through rocks and a steep decline.
In the meantime, more people on the trail joined the group to help. Eventually, after a three-hour decline, the dog named Koco (as they learned from the collar) was finally safe.
Sandy and the LLTR couldn’t be more grateful to all the heroes involved in this complicated mission. Carrying a dog this big through the woods sure was a challenge, but they made it.
Even more, they helped the dog survive what appeared to be a critical few days.
At the vet, Koco, as expected, was diagnosed with a broken leg. However, other wounds showed something even more heartbreaking — that the pup was probably abused in the past.
She had a matching scar on the underside of her leg, meaning she had most likely sustained a gunshot wound.
“X-rays confirmed a complete break of both bones in her right front leg. The bones, however, were not displaced and could not account for the exterior puncture wound at the break sight,” the rescue added.
Koco Building Toward Full Recovery
At the vet, Koco, a genuinely calm and sweet German Shepherd, received everything she ever wanted: love, affection, cuddles, and nice treatment.
Although she had a collar, Koco’s microchip didn’t show a valid phone number. Even after multiple posts on social media, no one came forward to claim her.
Koco underwent a successful leg surgery and was sent to a nice foster home.
In the most recent update, the South Carolina rescue shared exciting news: the dog’s cast was removed.
“Our girl Koco had her cast removed yesterday and is healing like a champ! She’s feeling so much better,” LLTR shared in an update.
Once fully healed, this beautiful German Shepherd girl has a whole life waiting for her. And she couldn’t be happier!