Community help is still needed to save the life of a companion service dog that was hit by a car on El Camino Real Nov. 13.
As wheelchair bound, long-time Santa Clara resident, Karrie Wedlund, was on her way to volunteer at the Santa Clara Senior Center, her dog, Jasper, who was adopted from Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority on Nov. 8, broke free from his collar and was struck by a vehicle.
When Wedlund and Jasper arrived at the VCA Animal Hospital on El Camino, she was told that Jasper’s multiple injuries, including road rash and broken bones could cost the 72-year-old between $4,000 and $7,000 – an amount the fixed-income senior could not afford.
Since first reporting on the incident last week, the GoFundMe account set up for Jasper’s care has topped $2,000, but the bills are piling up.
“It’s hard when you’re living on $1,200 a month,” says Wedlund, “but I just do what I have to do because life happens. I need to have him here with me and he needs me.”
Wedlund says that VCA has made as many efforts as possible to reduce the vet bills. The savings, however, is not enough, as Wedlund has already spent approximately $2,000 on Jasper’s care.
“I’m real happy with [the vet at VCA],” she says. “I don’t think I could have gone to a better place and Jasper’s happy, too.”
Jasper has been recovering nicely, but, as Wedlund says, he’s still limping and sore. According to Wedlund, the plastic cone Jasper needed to wear around his neck has been removed and replaced by a less restrictive one that allows him to eat from a bowl, but keeps him from scratching his injuries. At this time, it’s still unknown if he will need surgery to repair the damage caused by the accident.
“I really enjoy having him around,” says Wedlund. “I really miss having him on my lap, but he’s not supposed to jump up. I can hardly wait for him to be able to move around … I really picked a good one when I got him.”
Wedlund says Jasper’s next vet visit will be on Tuesday, Dec. 9 and she will have more details then about what the next step will be for his care. Until then, Wedlund remains positive about his recovery and says that she is looking forward to celebrating his birthday every year on Nov. 8 – the day they met.
Donations are still being accepted through the GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/hh203o.