I've heard it all now!
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What happens when you leave a dog out in the freezing cold for months? Eventually you've gotta give him a sex change.
Charlie, a 7-month-old Belgian Malinois, was mistreated by his Greeley, Colorado, owners. He was left outside their home without proper shelter since he was about 10 weeks old.
Neighbors concerned about Charlie's living conditions eventually persuaded his owners to hand him over to them, said Teresa Beckle, a spokeswoman for the Double J Pet Ranch in Greeley, a boarding kennel and no-kill shelter.
Charlie lost part of his tail and an ear to continued exposure to sub-zero temperatures, and he was slightly malnourished.
But the more serious injury was to his penis, which had suffered frostbite and infection.
Veterinarians at Colorado State University examined Charlie and decided a penile amputation was the only way to save his life, said veterinarian Arun Rustgi. The shelter turned to Rustgi for that operation because he has done work with Double J in the past.
Greeley residents, worried about Charlie's plight, pitched in to fund the $1,800 operation, which was performed last weekend. The kennel now wants to raise more money to help pay for follow-up visits for Charlie and to help other dogs rescued from abusive homes.
"It doesn't look like it now, but he's a pretty lucky dog," said Rustgi, who admits to pains of sympathy before the rare procedure.
"We gave him a bunch of morphine," Rustgi said. "It just seemed like the right thing to do."
Once Charlie recovers completely, he will be put up for adoption to a good home, said Beckle.
"Through all of this, Charlie has just remained a sweetheart," Beckle said. "I just wish we could do to people what they sometimes do to animals."
"He's just so darn active," Rustgi said. "You'd expect a dog that has gone through what he has would be just a little bit grumpy. But he's not. He's just been great."
For now, Charlie wears an Elizabethan collar that stops him from licking his wound. He's also on medication to prevent infection and to help with the pain.
Greeley police are considering charging Charlie's former owners with a crime, Beckle said.
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What happens when you leave a dog out in the freezing cold for months? Eventually you've gotta give him a sex change.
Charlie, a 7-month-old Belgian Malinois, was mistreated by his Greeley, Colorado, owners. He was left outside their home without proper shelter since he was about 10 weeks old.
Neighbors concerned about Charlie's living conditions eventually persuaded his owners to hand him over to them, said Teresa Beckle, a spokeswoman for the Double J Pet Ranch in Greeley, a boarding kennel and no-kill shelter.
Charlie lost part of his tail and an ear to continued exposure to sub-zero temperatures, and he was slightly malnourished.
But the more serious injury was to his penis, which had suffered frostbite and infection.
Veterinarians at Colorado State University examined Charlie and decided a penile amputation was the only way to save his life, said veterinarian Arun Rustgi. The shelter turned to Rustgi for that operation because he has done work with Double J in the past.
Greeley residents, worried about Charlie's plight, pitched in to fund the $1,800 operation, which was performed last weekend. The kennel now wants to raise more money to help pay for follow-up visits for Charlie and to help other dogs rescued from abusive homes.
"It doesn't look like it now, but he's a pretty lucky dog," said Rustgi, who admits to pains of sympathy before the rare procedure.
"We gave him a bunch of morphine," Rustgi said. "It just seemed like the right thing to do."
Once Charlie recovers completely, he will be put up for adoption to a good home, said Beckle.
"Through all of this, Charlie has just remained a sweetheart," Beckle said. "I just wish we could do to people what they sometimes do to animals."
"He's just so darn active," Rustgi said. "You'd expect a dog that has gone through what he has would be just a little bit grumpy. But he's not. He's just been great."
For now, Charlie wears an Elizabethan collar that stops him from licking his wound. He's also on medication to prevent infection and to help with the pain.
Greeley police are considering charging Charlie's former owners with a crime, Beckle said.
