Sawyer, a small, 40-pound lab mix, was rescued from a ditch near the Ohio border in February, unable to climb out on his own. Two teenagers found him, lifted him out of the ditch and carried him home. He was severely injured, and the family who rescued him called Because You Care. He was in severe condition, and he needed professional medical care and much personal attention if he was going to recover.

BYC immediately sent him to Camboro Veterinary Hospital where x-rays determined that his leg was badly broken low on the femur with one main fracture and several fragments. Sadly, the injury was about a week old before he was found and taken to a vet. Camboro plated the bone and hospitalized him while Because You Care found a reliable foster home where Sawyer could recover.

While still at Camboro, Sawyer began to show signs of aggression and resistance to training. This concerned us, but we pushed forward, knowing that he had recently been through so much trauma. He was only 15 months old and had the potential to become a wonderful and loving dog when the pain subsided.

Within a week of foster care, Sawyer began to show much improvement. He started playing with the other dogs in his foster home and began responding to the training and rehabilitation from his foster mom. Within a month, he was completely trained, loving, sweet and very friendly.

Sawyer is almost completely healed, and we have no reason to believe he will have further complications from his surgery. He is eager for the doctors to say "Okay, run and play!" but he is being kept quiet for a few more weeks.

Your contribution to The Franklin Fund will help pay for Sawyer's surgery and for other seriously injured animals. You can make a donation online or by sending a check to Because You Care, Inc., PO Box 54, McKean, PA 16426. With your help, BYC can continue to save the lives of animals that will otherwise have to be euthanized due to lack of funds.