Seven–year-old chocolate lab Bruno is recovering at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan after surviving 27 days trapped in a well near his family farm close to Estevan.
His owners only found him after one of their other dogs wouldn’t move from a spot in tall grass near a farm field.
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Bruno lay deep in an old well, his paws stuck in the mud.
Cindy Billesberger, the dog’s owner, said her son jumped in and managed to pass the injured pooch to safety.
Bruno has lost nearly half his body weight and suffered other injuries.
“His eyes were sunk in, they were infected. Cuts along his eyes, all his paws,” she said Thursday. “He’s lost fur off his back end and was just a mess.”
Kristin Caldwell, a veterinarian, said Bruno was barely alive and beat the odds. The dog managed to survive on snow and rainwater.
“To be honest most of us don’t feel that he had more than a couple of days left in him,” she said.
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The dog was brought to the Prairie Animal Health Centre in Estevan on Oct. 14 but once he was in more stable condition, Bruno was transferred to the WCVM in Saskatoon.
“We’re working diligently to provide the best medical care for our patient, Bruno, and we are very happy with his progress,” said Dr. Duncan Hockley at the WCVM.
“He is in our intensive care unit in stable condition, he seems comfortable, and he has responded well to initial therapy. Bruno’s recovery will not be quick, but he is displaying a strong will to live. Our small animal medicine clinicians are managing Bruno’s care in collaboration with our nutritionist.”
A week after being pulled from the well Bruno is enjoying the simple things in life, like carriage rides outside in the sun.
At this point in his recovery, the media has been asked to stay away from the WCVM to give Bruno the best chance of a full recovery.
With files from The Canadian Press
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