Abandoned dog faces amputation after being waiting outside shelter for 11 hours

Cowboy put on a huge display of bravery after his amputation (Image: Kentucky Humane Society) When an animal rescuer found a dog squirming in pain on her way to work one morning, she knew time was of the essence. Good Samaritan Rebecca Van Schepen said the dog – later named Cowboy – was clearly distressed after sustaining an injury to his leg and being abandoned. He was curled up inside an Amazon delivery bag outside the door of the shelter but pounced up to greet his rescuer on her arrival. Schepen realised the dog was injured and needed urgent medical care. But with no idea how the dog got hurt, she reviewed the CCTV footage. The security cameras showed that a person had dropped the dog off at the shelter at 7:30 the night before and abandoned him there. Having patiently waited for help for more than 11 hours, Schepen knew she needed to act fast to help Cowboy. ‘Security camera footage showed that he never moved from the Amazong delivery bag the entire night,’ Ally Duncan told the Dodo. ‘Despite his injuries, he had hope-filled eyes and was eager to crawl into Rebecca’s lap for love when she arrived.’ According to the rescuer, doctors at the shelter eventually determined that the dog’s left could not be saved, warranting an emergency amputation. Though the carers were concerned about how Cowboy would react to the amputation, the pup put on an impressive display of resilience. ‘After the amputation, he was placed on cage rest for a few days to make sure that the stitches healed correctly,” his rescuer explained. The dog was left outside the door of the Kentucky Humane Society shelter (Image: Kentucky Humane Society) ‘We could see a shift in his mood almost immediately. Cowboy transitioned to life with three legs beautifully.” As the shelter workers grew closer to the pup, they came to discover that he was a playful and affectionate canine.  ‘During his time at KHS, Cowboy snuggled and kissed staff members, and spread joy everywhere he went,” explained Schepen. “He was truly a breath of fresh air!’ Fortunately, Cowboy has found his forever home and a new family who describe him as the “missing piece of the puzzle” in their lives.