One of Philadelphia’s new favorite heroes is named after one of the state’s old heroes – Sylvester Stallone. This new Sly is an abandoned dog who heroically displayed Rocky’s fighting spirit after being left to die.
Sly was in a pretty bad shape last Tuesday when a humane officer found him in a park in Chester, PA. According to CBS Philadelphia, who quoted the Providence Animal Center’s Facebook page:
“The dog was skin and bones, unable to lift his head,”
Sly went into an emergency surgery on Tuesday night and thanks to the doctors’ efforts he is expected to make a full recovery. He is certainly headed to that goal now, as he’s eating normally and seems to have gotten his spirit back.
That‘s not how he looked when the officer brought him in, however. When Sly first arrived, he weighed no more than 50 pounds, which is roughly half of what the healthy weight for his breed is. Curiously, his stomach and leg areas were shaved, which led the vets to think that he may have had a recent ultrasound or catheter.
After the dog’s long battle and survival against all odds, the staffers at the Providence Animal Center named him Sly after one of Philadelphia’s favorite sons – Sylvester Stallone.
“He’s a fighter,” the folks at the PAC said.
The main reason for the surgery was a rope toy that was blocking Sly’s intestines. An X-ray had found it out and Sly was rushed into the surgery room. In the emergency facility, the stoic dog received round-the-clock care and as of Wednesday morning, he was not just standing, but he was wagging his tail and eating! After that, he was returned to Providence Animal Center where he can recover peacefully.
From there, Sly headed home to medical foster with Dr. Gia Croce – one of the doctors who helped save his life. Dr. Croce and her family took Sly for a walk on the wet grass, using towels as slings.
While Sly is expected to make a full recovery, the Providence Animal Center’s Humane Officers are looking for information regarding Sly’s condition and abandonment. If you have any info regarding Sly, we encourage you to call (610) 566-1370, extension 214, or email [email protected].
