He's an incredibly sweet pup - friendly, outgoing and gives tons of kisses, but in a very short period of time, Max experienced one horrific tragedy after another. The now 5 month old German shepherd mix was being walked in an inner city park by the family's children, 7 and 12. An easy target, the puppy was stolen from the children by some bullies. By the time the children got their mother Max was long gone.

Three weeks later, Newark Animal Control was called on a `Hit By Car', and this same pup was carried into our Medical Department, soaking wet from the rain and in shock. Our veterinarian immediately put him on IV fluids and pain medication, and several hours later he was out of the woods. But only those woods - he had two serious injuries to two of his legs, both appearing to be fractures.

Max was taken by the Society to a veterinary specialist to have both legs evaluated; the good news was the rear leg was only fractured and would mend with cage rest; the front leg, where his paw is completely bent under, would not. All nerve connections to his right front leg had been ripped and severed, requiring the leg be amputated.

Repeated contacts with the family revealed that Max is no longer wanted, so our veterinarian will proceed next week with the amputation of Max's leg and begin him on his final road to recovery. This young fella has youth on his side, and with his upbeat disposition, we're looking forward to a healthier pup ready for adoption in the near future. Max's file number is 38966; if you feel you may be interested in adopting Max, please contact us.

Saving lives and healing pups like Max is all in a day's work for us, in fact, it's our mission. Please support our many life-saving efforts and support our ResQ Fund today. Read about Max's surgery and progress here.