The morning of Monday, March 18, did not begin in a way that anyone expected. Richard, a resident of Old West Lawrence, walked out of his front door ready to take his dog for a walk…only to find a severely injured shepherd in his front yard. A caring, animal-loving person, Richard tried to get help for the dog who clearly had bloody injuries to all four of his legs and other parts of his body. Unfortunately, his repeated calls for help to Animal Control and the Lawrence Police Department did not lead to any assistance. So while Lawrence Humane’s contract with the City of Lawrence does not cover shelter staff going out on calls and handling cases within city limits during Animal Control operating hours, our staff could not stand by and not help a dog in such dire need.
Lawrence Humane Animal Services Manager, Tia Ezell, and Veterinarian, Jenny Schneider-Frederick, went to Richard’s house, sedated the shepherd, and brought him back to Lawrence Humane. The dog, which Dr. Schneider-Frederick ultimately named “Nash,” spent most of that first day in surgery as our veterinary team worked to control the bleeding from his most significant injuries. But they weren’t done. Over the next week, Nash required additional surgeries and extensive care.
Following the first surgery to clean and suture three of Nash’s most significant wounds, our medical team took him back into surgery the following day to address the remaining wounds on his legs, his underside in the groin area, and on his chest and torso. Nash’s legs and feet had, by far, suffered the worst trauma. The Lawrence Humane veterinarians worked for several hours to close wounds on his legs that were so deep that bone was exposed. Other wounds, like the deep abrasions on all four of his paw pads, required routine cleaning and antibiotics. After our medical team doctored up all of Nash’s wounds, they took comprehensive x-rays and found there Nash had fractured toes in all four of his feet. He required a detailed pain management plan and lots of time to heal.
Despite everything he had been through and the obvious pain he was in, Nash showed us that he was up for the challenge of healing. As he continued to feel better, more and more of his personality began to come out. When he first came into our care, Nash was snappy and growly, but only because he was in pain and anticipating more pain with every movement – completely understandable! But with lots of medical care and an appropriate level of pain management, he was able to relax and enjoy simple pleasures like gentle pets and belly rubs. And Lawrence Humane staff and volunteers LOVED getting to know the real Nash! We discovered that Nash was sassy, curious, friendly, and very much enjoyed being loved on.
While Nash did have to spend several months at Lawrence Humane and undoubtedly at times his healing journey may have felt long, it was also filled with lots and lots of love! Not only was he a staff favorite and got lots of belly rubs throughout the day, but he also became a favorite among our volunteers, especially long-time Lawrence Humane volunteer, Dustin. Dustin came daily to take Nash for walks (short at first, then longer as Nash began to feel better) and sometimes just to sit on the grass together and enjoy basking in the sunshine. Whatever fears and misgivings Nash might have once had about men, Dustin helped heal.
Eventually Nash was well enough that it was time for him to find a forever home that would love and spoil him in all the ways that he deserved…and boy did he hit the jackpot! Nash was adopted by a family that is very experienced with shepherds of his size and who fell head over heels for him. And the feeling was clearly mutual as Nash ran straight into his new dad’s arms when they met! The family ended up moving to Florida and these days Nash is enjoying beach life as the only dog in the family – pampered, spoiled, and loved beyond measure!
Nash’s sweet ending is everything that we could have ever wanted for our sweet shepherd boy, and none of it would have been possible without the support of our incredible community. Lawrence residents RALLIED around Nash! From the very beginning, when Richard and his neighbors covered Nash with blankets and did all they could to get him life-saving help, to the many people who generously donated to help cover Nash’s extensive medical expenses, to the folks who reached out to check up on him and stopped by the shelter to bring him hot dogs and other treats, and to the Lawrence Humane volunteers and staff who provided the best possible care for Nash every day for months….from the moment that Nash was discovered on Richard’s lawn, he never again wanted for a friend, food, love, or care.
We are so unbelievably lucky to live in a community that cares about ALL of its residents – human and animal. We know that not every town would have come together to help a dog like Nash, nor would residents support their local animal shelter as care was provided to a dog like Nash. So we are forever grateful to every single member of the Lawrence community who stepped up, got involved, and helped us make sure that Nash got the happy outcome he deserved. And we are thankful to know that no matter what comes in 2025, our community will work together to continue spreading love, hope, kindness, and support right here in our little corner of the world!
