Dolly's Story
Dolly before the attack
“Dolly has a great spirit and has always been a survivor. I bred her myself and had to revive her at birth. It was touch and go, but all of a sudden Dolly took a huge gasp of breath and decided to come into the world.
I have been grateful to her ever since. Dolly is a very special brave spirit and an incredibly loving and friendly dog. She has a great sense of humour and will do anything for a treat of Edam cheese! Like all Westies she can be a bit mischievous and inquisitive and she has a strong independent streak, but most of all she is full of fun and happiness and it's a joy to live with her.
Since coming home to recuperate, she has gone from strength to strength, and within a few days she wanted to play with her toys and was desperate to get out for a walk.
Dolly's horrific injuries
Dolly and I wish to thank all the wonderful staff at Grove Lodge who helped pull her through the horrific and tragic experience that cost Dolly's mum her life and left Dolly in a critical condition.
I am certain that the love and care she received from the veterinary staff saved her life and I can't thank them enough. None of my dogs like going to the vet, so it was a bit of a surprise when I took Dolly for a check up after the surgery, that she couldn't wait to get into the building. She obviously has happy memories of people helping her and being kind to her. Dolly was very happy and excited to see the staff who had looked after her and that, as Dolly's owner, was very touching and comforting to me.
Dolly is making a fantastic recovery and tells me that she can't wait to go out for a proper walk on the Downs again and get our lives back to normal.” - Dolly's Owner
Dolly on the way to recovery
Profile
Dolly was brought into the hospital a an emergency one weekend in late January. She had been attacked by another dog and had suffered severe injuries. She had a huge wound on the side of her chest that was very deep, almost down to her ribcage and about 20cm long. She also had multiple puncture wounds around her neck, face and shoulders.
Dolly was given immediate treatment by Virginia Watkin (one of our dedicated weekend vets) for shock and given intravenous antibiotics and pain control. Dolly was kept in hospital for a week whilst the nursing team and Nicola Bromley (a senior hospital vet) gave Dolly intensive care. She needed multiple dressings, intravenous fluids and medication to keep her as comfortable as possible and to deal with her infected wounds. Dolly was very brave throughout her treatment and never growled or grumbled once despite the severity of her injuries.
Dolly responded well to her treatment and went for reconstructive surgery on the friday after she had been admitted, with surgeon Mark Pertwee.The surgery was successful and Dolly has gone from strength to strength. It was lovely to see her fully recovered when she returned for her suture removal only a few weeks after her initial ordeal.
Many dogs would not have survived the injuries that dolly sustained, so we feel that she really deserves this award.