ROANOKE, Va. – A dog recovering from serious injuries after being hit by a car has captured the attention of people across the Roanoke Valley, thanks to a viral social media post shared by Angels of Assisi.
The nonprofit animal welfare organization says Princess, an 8-month-old puppy, was brought to its Community Pet Clinic after being struck by a vehicle on Williamson Road several weeks ago.
According to Angels of Assisi Executive Director Lisa O’Neill, Princess’ owner witnessed the crash and spent the night outside the clinic waiting for help after he and responding police officers were unable to secure affordable emergency veterinary care.
Police eventually brought the man and his dog to the clinic, where they waited until staff arrived the next morning.
“Your heart breaks a little bit because this person loves, he loves this dog so much,” O’Neill said.
When clinic staff arrived, they immediately brought Princess inside for treatment.
The puppy was unable to stand and was suffering from a dislocated shoulder, injuries to her mouth and trauma to her back legs, according to Angels of Assisi. Veterinary staff first focused on pain management before conducting examinations and imaging.
“First concern was pain management because we could obviously tell she was in a lot of pain,” said Basit Jimoh, a surgical lead assistant at the clinic.
Doctors were able to reset Princess’ shoulder and begin her recovery, but staff say the crash caused significant injuries.
“Lost a lot of teeth. There’s some asphalt in her teeth from I guess when she got hit,” Jimoh said.
Three weeks later, Princess has made substantial progress. Staff say she is walking, playing and beginning to run again as she continues rehabilitation.
“About a week and a half ago, she could barely use her back legs and now she’s able to run around, you know,” Jimoh said.
Throughout her recovery, Princess’ owner has continued visiting regularly, bringing her food and spending time with her while she heals.
O’Neill said the relationship between the dog and her owner has stood out to staff caring for Princess.
“Princess and her owner have a bond that’s very strong,” O’Neill said.
She added that Princess was always excited to see her owner when he visited.
“She was always so happy to see him and he’d be bringing her snacks and whatnot,” O’Neill said.
Princess still faces additional treatment, including dental work to address teeth lost in the crash. However, staff say her recovery is progressing well, and their goal is to reunite her with her owner once she is healthy enough to leave the clinic.
Angels of Assisi has received an outpouring of support from community members following the story’s spread on social media. Information about donating or volunteering with the organization is available through Angels of Assisi‘s website.