Success Stories

Charlie4, February, 2001

Charlie was a resident of the Marathon County Humane Society in Wisconsin when his rescuer first met him. The Humane Society had contacted a local rescue group when his time in the shelter was up. Charlie's rescuer went to pick him up along with two other Labs, planning to foster the young yellow Lab until a permanent home could be found. Charlie was already neutered and knew many obedience commands; he got along well with other dogs and cats and loved human companionship.

But Charlie had a problem; he was walking strangely and his foster mom noticed that he was very tender around his hips while wrestling and playing with the other dogs on the floor. She took Charlie to her vet to have his hips x-rayed and the vet confirmed what she suspected: Charlie had hip dysplasia. It was a very severe case and the vet recommended total hip replacement on both sides.

Charlie's foster mom applied to LABMED for funding right away. She was just starting her own rescue - Packer Dogs Lab Rescue - and decided to adopt Charlie. She had already checked with several vets to determine the best treatment for him. The nearby vet school seemed the best solution; they concurred with the first vet that Charlie needed hip replacement and offered to do the surgery at a reduced rescue rate. Charlie's mom needed only a little help from LABMED; she paid for most of the surgery herself and we were happy to take care of the rest.

Charlie had the first hip replacement surgery in late February. The surgery went well but Charlie did not want to do the physical therapy the vet prescribed as follow up treatment. But his family had an idea - they built a pool for him in their basement. After the incision healed enough, Charlie started to swim and is getting the therapy while doing something he loves to do.