‘Angel’ fully recovered, helping other Blackfoot animals

You may remember in May, a good samaritan found a Border Collie puppy that was shot multiple times and left to die in Blackfoot.

Blackfoot resident, Leslie Schwindt, says when she found Angel lying in a ditch, helpless and hurt, she didn’t think twice about taking her to the vet. At the time, Angel’s injuries were so bad, veterinarians had to amputate the puppy’s left rear leg.

Five months later, Angel is a happy and healthy dog.

“She runs and jumps and barks and does everything a normal dog does,” said Schwindt. “She’s gotten bigger. She’s about 33 pounds now and she’s doing really well. She’s adapted to just having three legs.”

And even though Angel only has three legs, Leslie said nothing holds her back from running and playing with her dog friends.

“There are five dogs in the house. Four other ones, plus Angel,” said Schwindt. “There’s a lot of birds that get chased. When one of the dogs chases the birds, she has to chase the dog. She just thinks it’s fun.”

The local community donated nearly $2,000 to the Blackfoot Animal Clinic for Angel’s expenses. Leslie said she and Angel’s veterinarian were worried Angel might have needed surgery, but that isn’t the case now.

“Now that we’re out of the clear we’ve been able to use the money that was left over for the ACL surgery, that we were afraid of, to help other animals in need; whether it be spay, neuter and I’ve even had to help one family put an elderly dog down,” said Schwindt.

There are still funds in Angel’s account at the Blackfoot Animal Clinic. If you have a pet and are in need of some assistance, visit the clinic to find out how they can help you.

Angel and Schwindt, along with veterinarian Tony Parsons, will have a meet-and-greet on Friday Nov. 2 from 2-5 p.m. at the Blackfoot Animal Clinic.

Schwindt and Parsons are also planning on starting a spay and neuter program in Blackfoot as well.