On Thanksgiving, Frank Russo and Sonny, the 3 year-old Labrador Retriever he rescued two years earlier, were out for their regular neighborhood walk. Suddenly, Sonny ran into the street. Reacting quickly, Frank ran to catch him but it was too late—Sonny was hit by a car and the driver took off without even stopping. Sonny lay in the street whimpering quietly, puzzled by his pain and inability to walk.
Being a holiday, Frank wasn’t sure what his options for veterinary care would be. He knew, however, that paying for expensive treatment wasn’t feasible with his family’s limited budget. On top of that, Frank’s wife was in the hospital recovering from her own serious accident, one that resulted in most of her bones being broken and a devastating prognosis of never being able to walk again.
As a Vietnam veteran, Frank has faced his share of hardships. Disabled during the war, Frank was heartbroken by the thought of losing his faithful companion to a physical injury. Due to the location of the break, right next to Sonny’s hip, it was going to cost more than $5,000 to reconstruct and surgically restore his leg. A successful amputation of that severity would cost around $3,000. Feeling at a loss for options, Frank felt he had to put Sonny down.
Knowing what a difficult time this was for Frank, the veterinarians reached out to Freedom Tails Animal Rescue in Maricopa County to see what options they could provide to help Frank and Sonny. They responded immediately, creating an online fundraiser using social media sites like Facebook and YouCaring.com, and pointing him towards AZPetVet and their family of hospitals for the surgery due to their generous military discount and no-interest payment arrangements.
The partnership was a huge success. Donations have been pouring in from around the country, raising $6,107 to date—more than enough funds to fully pay for the series of intensive surgeries required to completely reconstruct Sonny’s leg. Today, thanks to the generosity of strangers and the skillful AZPetVet doctors, Sonny has a new lease on life and Frank has his buddy back by his side.
With 17 locations across the Phoenix Metro area and 24/7 availability, Arizona Pet Vet is your choice for comprehensive animal care. Our no interest, no credit check payment plans ensure that you never have to postpone treatment for your loved one. Click “Find Us” at the top of our page to find the location nearest you.
Read more about Sonny and Frank’s Story