“Hold still! Hold still!” I cursed to myself, as I frantically chased the scruffy white dog around the veterinarian’s examination room. I was attempting to photograph Blanky, a young Puerto Rican stray who had been rescued after being hit by a car in the Puerto Rican town of Humacoa.
The accident left his hind legs paralysed, but his injury didn’t stop him from effortlessly running around the examination table, dragging his useless legs behind him. Taking a break from zipping around the room, Blanky sat down briefly, and I managed to fire off a few shots, finally capturing a usable image for an upcoming adoption campaign.
The entire incident left me rather humbled however, as I was almost bested by a dog with only two working legs.
I had come to the animal hospital to meet Liza Arias, the Executive Director of El Faro de los Animales, an animal rescue and sanctuary located on the southeastern coast of the island. Days earlier she had rescued Blanky, and had brought him to the animal hospital for a comprehensive evaluation.
When Blanky had calmed down enough, the veterinarian was able to complete his exam, and the news wasn’t good. A review of his x-rays revealed his spine was completely transected at the lumbar five area, meaning he would forever be paralysed from the waist down. To prevent him from constantly chewing on his legs and the threat of infection, amputation was recommended.
After his operation, Arias opted to care for Blanky at her home rather than house him at the shelter. Her plan, however, turned slightly problematic. Not yet even fitted for a wheelchair, Blanky was causing havoc in her home. “He’s turning into a little brat,” Arias said. “He talks back to me, he won’t go into his pen and he chases my cats.”
It seemed nothing would slow him down. Despite his recent trauma and surgery, Blanky ran around so fast Arias’ team nicknamed him “Blanky Toretto,” after Vin Diesel’s character from the “Fast and Furious” movies. It didn’t take long for everyone who met him to fall in love with the mischievous but friendly little dog.
It also didn’t take long for poor Blanky to injure himself, fracturing his penis one day while running around the yard. His injury required two operations to repair, which prolonged his rehabilitation by several months.
Once healed, the goal for Blanky was to find him a forever home. A big obstacle for any Puerto Rican stray dog, however, is the low adoption rate on the island. For this reason, many rescued dogs are routinely flown to the mainland U.S. to begin the adoption process. In Blanky’s case, this entailed the well-coordinated effort of three separate rescue organizations.
With fitting for his wheelchair complete, El Faro’s sister shelter Animal Lighthouse Rescue facilitated his flight from Puerto Rico to their location in New York. The plane was provided by another rescue organization, The Sato Project, who regularly flies groups of rescued dogs to the mainland U.S.
The good news was that upon landing, Blanky went straight to a potential adopters home in Boston. This move was facilitated by Paws4Survival, another rescue group that also works closely with El Faro. Bad news followed rather quickly though, as he was almost immediately returned with another penis injury.
Once again, Blanky’s injury required an operation. It seemed that poor Blanky couldn’t get a break! Pardon the terrible pun.
An inquiry into his Petfinder post however, would soon change Blanky’s life forever. James Lima and Monet Viens, a couple from Massachusetts, spotted his profile that had been posted by Paws4Survival. The couple, who have experience with special needs animals and currently care for a cat and five rabbits, were actively looking to adopt a special needs dog.
All it took was one meeting with Blanky and his charm worked once again. The couple were hooked, and Blanky soon found himself adopted. He now enjoys the stability of a permanent home, long walks at the beach, and of course, unlimited cuddles.
“Blanky is such a sweetheart and has been a blessing to us,” Viens told me. “He is loving life! He is so happy being the only pup to soak up all the attention.”
Fortunately for Blanky, his saga has a happy ending. From life as one of the many strays in Puerto Rico, hit by a car and paralysed, multiple surgeries and failed adoption, to living a full and happy life with a loving family. His success story would not have been possible but for the hard work of the rescue organizations working to improve the lives of the approximately 500,000 strays roaming the island.
If you would like to help El Faro de los Animales rescue more dogs like Blanky with a donation, adopt a dog, or volunteer