SASKATOON – He’s nicknamed Bruce Almighty and the name is well deserved.
“Bruce is an angel. He’s pretty sweet. He’s very calm, quiet. He’s still a puppy so he still wants to play and nibble your figures, but otherwise he’s pretty much the perfect dog,” Bruce’s foster mom, Kelly Bergerman, said.
Bruce is a five-month-old retriever mix who was surrendered to a rescue facility in Manitoba on Jan. 29. He was dragging his back legs, which were assumed to have been hit by a car.
“Bruce had ten fractures. He had a couple of cracked ribs. Some major fractures in his pelvis and his hips and his back legs were both broken,” said Bergerman.
Veterinarians in Manitoba weren’t sure if he would make it through the night.
“They had to make a decision, are you going to euthanize Bruce or are you going to put out the money. It was costing anywhere between $7,500 to $10,000 just for the surgery. That doesn’t include the rehab.”
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Despite the odds, the little pup pulled through with the help of multiple rescue facilities and the University of Saskatchewan veterinary animal clinic. Now Bruce is on the road to recovery in Saskatoon with his new foster family Kelly and Cam Bergerman.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up for Bruce; money still needs to be raised to cover the costs of surgery, physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
“He had his first physio yesterday and we noticed noticeable improvements. After that he was kind of wanting to run and play and really happy and very mobile.”
Despite his extensive injuries Bruce has a great appetite, enjoys his canine siblings and loves to explore the backyard with the help of his foster parents.
Bruce may be up for adoption in three to four months depending on his rehabilitation process.
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