Happy Belated Birthday, YoYo

We are bad parents, we forgot YoYo's birthday! Oh no. I didn't realize I had forgotten until just a couple days ago! Big Whoops! Anyways, he is 4 years old!

Drew and I have no idea when he was born, so we celebrate July 23rd, the day he was hit by a car. How did he get hit by a car?? Yeah well, my Mom did that and I was right behind her. Here is the story…..

Mom and I were leaving the lake in Clanton, AL, headed to Birmingham to look at wedding invitations in the summer of 2010. I was following Mom in a separate car, we were still on the "river road' and Yoyo runs out in front of Mom. She hits him and he flies across the road. His right leg was severely injured and his breathing was shallow, but he was alert and when asked what his name was, the owners, who came out, said "YoYo."

The owners.....lived in a single wide trailer, young daughter pregnant and the mother had some missing teeth. I asked who their vet was and they proceed to say they didn't have a vet! They also said and I quote...."We are just glad it wasn't the other dogs" SAY WHAT?!?!?!?! 

First, who says that and secondly, how many dogs do you have???   They had a total of seven and they lived in a pen no bigger than an average size bathroom. So I asked the question, Can I take your dog, get him help and if he survives, can I keep him?" They said, "SURE". Durwood, my uncle, showed up, he was on his way for a golf game with a friend. He helped us tremendously, because Mom and I were upset and crying...very shook up, to say the least!

Now to find a vet, the first vet we went to wouldn't accept him because the veterinarian wasn't there. I didn't hear this, but they told Mom and Durwood that every dog is an emergency... That lady needs a new job if she doesn't care anymore. They wouldn't even come out and look at him! They did help us find another vet in the next town over....Chestnut Creek Veterinary Hospital. Mom and I headed there and Durwood went to meet his friend, who was waiting to golf.

We left him at Chestnut Creek and decided to head on to Birmingham and do something while we wait to hear the fate of YoYo.  I actually picked out my wedding invitation that day. It was a combination of; that is a pretty invitation and we just hit and dog and in the scheme of things, it doesn’t matter what I pick.  I had taken a separate car to leave from Birmingham and head back to Phenix City, so I proceed to do that and half way back, the Veterinarian called from Chestnut Creek to tell me about Yoyo.

She had stabilized him with steroids, given him an anesthetic and took x-rays. She said he had hips fractures, broken ribs and his right back leg was very messed up. She said both ligament and tendons from the knee down were de-gloved. There wasn't much else she could do and suggested to take him to Auburn University.

OK, how do I do that, and how much do you think this is going to cost??.... She said to pick him up and take him yourself and then it would cost about $5,000 she thought to repair the leg and bring him back to restored health!!! I started bawling, there was NO WAY Drew and I, who were engaged, could do that.

At this point, Drew didn’t know about Yoyo. He had staff duty the night before (where you stay up all day and night at work and answer the phone) so he was sleeping. Since I didn't know anything I waited to tell him and let him get some sleep. Well when the vet gave me the price, he got a call! Drew said we should at least take him to Auburn and see what they say before we decide what to do.

Well, I was almost to Auburn as it was, so my awesome Mom, picked him up from Chestnut Creek, drove him with an IV hanging from the door down to Prattville, AL. I met her there to take him the rest of the way to Auburn University Vet Hospital. All together YoYo had a ride of 2.5 hours. The truck that had hit him became his life saving transportation. (to be dramatic). He was under anesthesia, had an IV with one liter of LR and cefalzozlin (antibiotic) hanging from the car. It was a trip...no pun intended! I was so upset too, I thought, we are just taking this dog down to Auburn to be put to sleep. There is no way we can afford this!

Well Drew pulled into Auburn's Veterinary Hospital just as Yoyo and I did! He picked him up, first time every meeting this dog, I can still see Yoyo, half awake, looking at Drew.

I need to add how sweet Yoyo was this entire time. He had these sweet sweet eyes that melted your heart when you looked at him. YoYo had Drew at Hello. So he carried him inside and I grabbed the IV. He was examined and more x-rays were taken. At this time, they came back to the room where Drew and I were waiting, and said that if they amputated the leg it would be cheaper, faster recovery, and with Yoyo being small and estimated at about a year he would probably do well. And the price came down to an estimated at $2,000. Wow, that is so much better than $5,000. OK, lets do it!! I guess we have ourselves a very expensive three legged mutt.

Yoyo during the week in Critical Care

Those EYES!

Resting with his Dad and pic of his sutures.

He was one out of 25 to receive an award at Auburn for being a cool dog and having a cool story.

He likes his trophy, Critical Care Superstar!

After a week of ups and downs in critical care at Auburn he came home with me. I had to miss the Family Reunion, which was the same day I brought Yoyo home. This dog was around the clock care. He had 5 different times he received meds a day. He continued to get out of this bandages all the time! Anne Gibble and her friend really helped us out. I didn't even know them well. I had just moved into the apartments and  Anne lived below me in the apartment building. They would come over and take care of him if Drew and I were working.

So sorry for the long story, but that is the great, amazing story of how Yoyo became a member of the family. He had a price to pay, but he does really well with three legs and he is a happy little guy and if I can say so myself, he has a better family than he did before.

Happy Birthday YOYO!!