Noodle is given a second chance at life after being found by the side of a road

We receive around a hundred calls per month from people and organisations who are desperately seeking help to care for an animal in need. Sadly, we can’t always help everyone due to long waiting lists, but every now and then a special case crosses our path, and we just can’t say no.

Last week, Medivet Watford got in touch to ask if we would help with a stray Lurcher they had taken in. The daughter of one of their vets had found him near the side of a road, and what she discovered was shocking.

She was devastated to find a dog had been abandoned following a road traffic accident and left to suffer alone with a badly broken leg. After taking him in for x-rays, the vets found that his front right leg had been completely shattered, he was in extreme pain, and he was very underweight. We believe he must have been struggling alone for quite a while, as his wound had become extremely infected, and because of this there was no way they could repair his leg with surgery. His only chance of a normal, happy life would be to amputate.

The Medivet team were desperate to help this poor boy, who they had named Noodle. They made him comfortable and relieved his pain. Before they could operate, they needed to know that he would have somewhere safe to go after the surgery. He would need weeks of care and support to help him heal, build his strength, get to a healthy weight, and recover from the trauma he had experienced. But without a rescue space lined up, they were forced to face the awful possibility that he may have to be put to sleep. After being turned away by some other centres, Medivet contacted us and, despite already being at capacity, we felt we just had to give Noodle the fresh start he deserved. We were heartbroken after seeing the picture of him abandoned, all alone with such a terrible injury.

After a successful surgery, Noodle is now in our care at NAWT Hertfordshire and we have very quickly fallen in love with him. We can’t begin to imagine the pain, fear, and desperation he must have been feeling when he was left to suffer alone. But despite his awful ordeal, he is a bright, friendly, and affectionate boy who is so happy to be with us. He is always excited to see people and meet new friends, he has settled in well and we have filled his kennel with the biggest teddies and the fluffiest blankets we could find. He is adapting amazingly well to life on three legs. His “Noodle hop” is getting stronger every time he walks, and it doesn’t stop him from having a good sniff and exploring when he is out and about.

Noodle has made it through the toughest part of his rescue journey, but he still has a long road of recovery ahead of him. He is now under the care of our excellent vet team, and we are dedicated to giving him everything he needs to be healed, healthy and happy. Once he is feeling a lot better, we will then start the search for his forever home.

Any donation you are able to give, will not only help with the remainder of Noodle’s care, but it will allow us to continue to change the lives of the animals that come through our doors.

You can donate at https://donate.nawt.org.uk/nawthertfordshire/

We would like to thank the Medivet Watford team for working with us to help Noodle and give him this second chance at a happy life.