Life with eight rescue dogs is filled with a little bit of chaos and a lot of love. My name is Danielle Wagner, and I’m a local news anchor in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I became a dog mom in 2006, and the Wagner Pack currently sits at eight dogs.
I have a passion for helping pets find their forever homes. Besides adopting dogs myself, I also have a weekly pet adoption segment called “Wagner Tails” where I feature adoptable pets at shelters and rescues across eastern Iowa.
This is the story of my eighth rescue dog. I adopted him shortly after he was hit by a car and was unable to use his back legs.
In March, Hunny was visiting Iowa with his previous family when he escaped from a fenced yard and was hit by a car. He was taken to an emergency vet and spent the night there before being transferred to a veterinary hospital.
Sadly, his previous owner couldn’t afford the care he needed. She made the difficult decision to surrender him to a rescue organization. Fur Fun Rescue out of Lisbon, Iowa, stepped in to take responsibility for Hunny and his medical bills so he could receive treatment at the veterinary hospital.
A scan of his spine and pelvis showed nothing was broken, but he did have 3 to 4 places along his spine with what appeared to be herniated discs. He did not need surgery, but Hunny was not using his back legs after the accident.
I saw the rescue’s post about him on March 17th, the day after he was hit by the car. I can’t explain it other than to say I had a gut feeling he was meant to join the Wagner Pack. I had previously adopted a dog from this rescue, so I reached out, offering to foster him with the hope of adopting him.
On March 29th, I drove to meet him. I learned how to use a makeshift brace to help support his back legs on trips outside. I also learned some exercises for his back legs to help with his mobility as he healed. He had to be confined to a playpen for approximately two months to limit his movements and to help prevent further injury. I knew going into it that a full recovery was not guaranteed.
I made adjustments around the house to help Hunny heal. I put a pen up in the living room so he could have a safe space while I was at work. I wanted him to rest and to heal. I also didn’t want him to try going up any stairs alone, and I didn’t want the other dogs to be tempted to play with him and unintentionally cause him more injuries. The other seven dogs did great with him. It was as if they could sense he was hurt, and they needed to be extra gentle with him. The dogs would take turns lying next to Hunny’s pen to keep him company.
I had to carry him almost everywhere when he wasn’t in the pen because I have vinyl flooring and a composite deck, and I didn’t want him to slip. I’ll admit it was a little exhausting making sure he was safe, but still letting him have some independence. I was also mindful of how I picked him up and carried him because I didn’t want to cause him more pain.
The original plan was to wait to adopt him until he was medically cleared, but I wanted to be able to make medical decisions for him. Specifically, I had previously done laser therapy with another one of my dogs. We had such great results with that, I wanted to see if that would help Hunny.
I officially adopted Hunny on April 3. We had our first laser therapy appointment on April 5 and did six total sessions. I noticed after the first session that he appeared to be in less pain. By the end, he could put more weight on his back legs and spend longer amounts of time walking in the backyard. I made videos throughout Hunny’s recovery to help track his progress. From week to week, I could see the improvement he was making. In the beginning, his walk was very wobbly and uneven. Running was not even an option.
When we completed the laser therapy sessions, our vet recommended hydrotherapy using an underwater treadmill as another rehab option. The closest vet clinic offering hydrotherapy was 30 minutes away, but I believed the trips would be worth it. We started hydrotherapy in May, and we went about every other week through July. I noticed a significant improvement in Hunny’s mobility and leg strength. After the accident, he hesitated to put any weight on his left back leg. Hydrotherapy really helped him build those muscles back up and even out his walking stride.
While I didn’t know what Hunny’s future would hold, I’m happy to report he’s doing great. He went from barely being able to stand on his back legs to running and playing alongside the other dogs. He loves chasing birds in the backyard, and yes, he can run after them! He can go up and down stairs again, and he can go on walks. Most people who see him out and about are surprised when I tell them he was hit by a car and was barely walking earlier this year. He’s a happy and sweet boy who loves joining me at public events and meeting new people.
