SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A dog who got a new chance at life after suffering from severe abuse is undergoing his most difficult surgery to date.
According to Helen Woodward Animal Center officials, the 2-year-old Pointer blend named Dwayne "The Rock" was rescued from the streets of Tijuana earlier this year. The dog's previous owner had bound Dwayne's mouth with a wire muzzle and physically abused him.
After the owner was arrested on an unrelated charge, Dwayne was abandoned on the streets, officials said. While roaming all alone, he was attacked by two larger dogs and suffered serious head injuries.
Officials said Dwayne's leg was dislocated and fractured due to abuse.
Since being taken to the Helen Woodward Animal Center, Dwayne has undergone multiple surgeries and other medical treatment.
On Thursday, Dwayne was scheduled to have a crucial elbow surgery to prevent the onset of degenerative pain. However, officials postponed the surgery, saying his injured leg has healed better than expected and taken stress off his right front elbow.
"It appears as though his back right hip surgery has healed exceptionally well and has taken the strain off of his front right elbow. Additionally, we’ve been doing physical therapy consistently over the past few weeks which has seem to have had a positive impact on use of his elbow, too," said Dr. Patricia Carter, Dwayne's veterinarian and foster mom.
"Things are actually looking better than they were six weeks ago."
Helen Woodward Animal Center spokesperson Jessica Gercke said the team caring for Dwayne will begin searching for doctors across the country who can lend their expertise on how best to proceed given Dwayne's improvement.
"We are all incredibly anxious about this surgery but we are also so relieved that it is finally getting done. The most important thing to all of us is that Dwayne lives the rest of his life pain-free," Gercke said. "He has such a beautiful spirit and we know he'll come through this procedure as joyfully as he has all the others."
