Vets help paralyzed dog walk again after tornado

Watch a ten-year-old cocker spaniel, discovered in a ditch after the Joplin twister, find his feet

Published June 16, 2011 6:07PM (EDT)

Much of Joplin, Missouri, was literally razed to the ground when a deadly twister hit the town on the night of May 22. In the midst of the wreckage, however, there have been stories of hope -- like this one, of a dog who was swept up in the storm but eventually returned to her owners and treated for her injuries.

Sugar, a ten-year-old cocker spaniel feared dead in the tornado's wake, was reunited with her family when a stranger discovered her lying paralyzed in a ditch and posted a notice on Facebook. After recovering her, Sugar's owners, Steven and Debbie Leatherman, brought their struggling dog to the University of Missouri's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, where vets performed the necessary surgery and rehab for free.

You can read the full story of Sugar's treatment here, and watch a heart-warming account of her recovery below (try viewing in Firefox for best results):

MU Veterinary Team Helps Dog Paralyzed in Tornado Walk Again from MU News Bureau on Vimeo.


By Emma Mustich

Emma Mustich is a Salon contributor. Follow her on Twitter: @emustich.

MORE FROM Emma Mustich


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Natural Disasters