The Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League (MAGDRL) has a Great Dane who desperately needs donations to afford veterinary care. Below is her story, courtesy of MAGDRL:

Sandy, a 1 year old Great Dane desperately needs your help and donations. Her rear legs are bent and deformed and she is already unable to hold her hind quarters upright. A very expensive surgery is needed for both of her rear knees. The North Carolina Chapter of the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League (MAGDRL) recently took Sandy into our care. Our Vet, Dr. Moss, advised us that without this surgery Sandy's ligaments will soon begin to tear and she will be unable to walk. The surgery (TPLO) involves cutting out the joints, re-positioning them to correct the angle and rotation, and then installing the hardware to hold it in place while it heals.

The estimate for this surgery is a total of $4400 for both knees. Dr. Moss recommends repairing one knee at a time with an estimated 8 weeks of confinement to allow healing on each knee. The joints are not positioned properly straight up and down, or side to side. He said the condition of Sandy's legs is most likely due to very poor nutrition rather than a genetic defect. Dr. Moss also found an old break in one of her legs that has never healed properly, and in his opinion if this surgery is not performed soon, it will not be long before she won't be able to walk at all.

Our sweet Sandy had a nightmarish life in the home of her original owners. She tried her best to fit in with the three large dogs that also lived in the backyard, but was repeatedly attacked by them. These attacks left Sandy with multiple bite wounds all over her body. Sandy was banished to a 4'x 4' kennel with a concrete pad. There was no place in the kennel for Sandy to lie down except in her own refuse, and when her owner decided to clean the kennel he "power washed" the kennel and poor Sandy at the same time.

In July of 2004 a very nice lady saw Sandy and remarked that she looked like she was in desperate need of vet care. Sandy was very skinny, covered in both old and new bite wounds, her hind legs were horribly deformed, and much of her hair was gone. The first miracle in Sandy's life happened ... the owners gave Sandy to the lady, who immediately took her to the vet and began the process of helping Sandy regain her health and trust in people.

Sandy's kind rescuer did all she was able to do financially considering she is disabled with very little income, and by October found herself no longer able to afford the ongoing medical care Sandy needed. Being of unaware of any other alternatives she took Sandy to the local shelter hoping they would know of someone that may be able to help. The shelter then called our local Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League (MAGDRL) representative. MAGDRL gladly took Sandy into our rescue program with a commitment to help her through her medical crisis.

Due to the urgent need for the surgeries and the lengthy recovery period, Sandy is going to be with us at MAGDRL for a long time. We'll love and cherish her while we're helping her to heal, but we desperately need your help to provide Sandy with a second miracle ... the miracle of health and a sound body.

You can help Sandy by donating online through MAGDRL's website: http://www.magdrl.org/rescuesinneed.htm

Please help MSGDRL start working on the second miracle for sweet Sandy today!