A somewhat disheveled man rode his bike to the East Bay SPCA located in Oakland, California. Running beside him on a leash was Sheba, a black Labrador/Shepherd mix. She was limping on her left front leg. While she may have been in pain, she was so good-natured that she did not show it. The man knew his dog better.

He told the employees at East Bay what had happened – she had got into a dog fight. It wasn’t intentional – it was an accident and now she was hurt and it was getting worse. Sheba’s leg was bandaged but it was damp, her leg was swollen and it was starting to smell. Signs of a serious infection.

He told them he could not afford the medical care for her. East Bay offered to take her in and help her but that would mean giving her up. He knelt down in front of her and said, “This is the best that I can do for you right now.” He pet her, then he left.

Sheba was immediately assessed and underneath the bandage were multiple fractures in the radius and ulna. To repair the injury would mean a long and potentially painful recovery. The doctors decided to amputate her leg. According to Gwen Gadd DVM, a staff veterinarian, Sheba was on the road to recovery with nothing to hold her back.

Dr. Gadd was right. Gracie is now in a loving home with Cecily and her husband. Sheba, now Gracie, doesn’t even realize she has three legs. She is fast.