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Update 10-25-17

Dan goes into a foster home! Dan has had additional surgeries and is now in a foster home! He is adjusting well, loves his doggie friends and is learning what life in a home is like. His foster mom has created an Instagram account and you can follow Dan’s adventures here: Dan the Dog. 

Our friends at Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics are fitting Dan with really cool “legs” and Dan could not be happier!

Update 7-25-17

See Dan Walk!!! Dan and all of his friends would like to thank you for giving him a chance at a normal life. Dan is thriving and is almost ready for adoption. This would not be possible without your generous support. Enough money was raised to cover Dan’s surgeries (there were many), his two prosthetics for his legs and to help a few of his friends (Peanut and Buck)! Dan was released from care by Dr. Jehn and Dr. Drygas at Capital Veterinary Specialists and is back in the care of the team at Tallahassee Animal Services. We hope you enjoy the video. Dan will be available for adoption soon at the Tallahassee Animal Service Center!

Update 6-5-17

Dan has finished all of his skin grafts at Capital Veterinary Specialists and is being fitted for his prosthetic leg. He is taking it like a champ! Dan continues to make great progress :-). Next, he will be taught to use his new leg. We can’t wait to see him walking and ready for his forever home.

Update 5-18-17:

Dr. Drygas at Capital Veterinary Specialists – Tallahassee is happy 

with the progress Dan is making. One of his grafts is healing very nicely,but the other one has not completely taken so Dan will require an additional surgery that will be done in the next few days. Dr. Drygas is hoping to get Dan fitted for a prosthetic on the healed leg within the next week or so. Stay tuned for more updates and continue to send your well wishes for Dan. We cannot thank everyone enough for your “Dollar for Dan” donations to help Dan <3. 

Update 4-28-17:

Dan underwent a double skin graft surgery last Friday (April 21) performed by Dr. Kevin Drygas and Dr. Carl Jehn (both board certified veterinary surgeons at Capital Veterinary Specialists).  Surgery went well and he is currently being cared for at CVS.  Dan is not allowed to use his back legs for at least two weeks after surgery, to allow the skin grafts to adhere to his stumps.

Dr. Carl Jehn did a follow-up procedure on Dan this morning (4/28) and everything is looking good.  Dan will need another follow-up procedure next Friday, which Dr. Jehn hopes will be the last one.  At this point he anticipates Dan can be fitted for a prosthetic in about 2 weeks.

Please consider donating A Dollar for Dan today!


Original story: This little black dog showed up at TallahasseeAnimal Services (ASC) as a stray in March with two seriously injured and very infected back legs and paws. One was so bad it was already too late to save a portion of the leg. Immediately, the veterinary staff and team at the ASC began emergency surgery to remove the infected tissue, working to save him. This surgery required amputation of a significant portion of his left rear leg (all the way past the hock) and the toes of the feet on his right rear leg. He must have been in unimaginable pain when he came in, but still managed to wag his tail and give kisses from the start. Staff could tell, he was a survivor – still being alive was nothing short of a miracle. There was something special about “Dan the Dog”.

The ASC vet team continued to monitor Dan, keeping him comfortable – cleaning his wounds and changing his bandages every day. They were still unsure if he would pull through. One month later, this little guy is thriving! He has stolen the hearts of the staff and volunteers that have met him. He is the sweetest boy…how could you not fall in love with that face. He is a young adult (probably a couple years old) that still has a lot of life left in him.

The vet team has done almost all they can do for Dan. He has done remarkably well fighting off the infection and is currently able to walk on his right rear leg. Their hope is to get the right rear leg to heal well enough that he can continue to walk on it without needing a protective bandage, and get the left rear limb to heal well enough to allow use of a prosthetic.  Since neither limb is “normal”, the vet staff is hoping that he will use a prosthetic on the left limb so that the right rear limb does not have to carry too much weight.

To continue his recovery, Dan is in need of specialized surgery and skin grafts to reconstruct what they can of his back legs/paws. The skin graft will cover over the wounds on both rear limbs to help him heal faster, and provide a stronger, tougher covering over his wounds.You can help by donating A Dollar for Dan today!If each of our supporters donates $1, we can get Dan the care he needs.

A very special thanks to Dr. Drygas, at Capital Veterinary Specialists for working with ASF and Tallahassee Animal Services to make this specialized surgery possible.


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