Samantha Gowen; OC Register

May 20th, 2009          

An abandoned dog with an incredible will to live is recovering after surgeons repaired his severely injured jaw.

Dr. Diane Craig (seen below) at Veterinary Surgical Specialists in Tustin received her charge Tuesday after a call from the Riverside Humane Society. “Noah,” a Weimaraner bought four years ago at an Orange pet store, had been found badly hurt and starving in Riverside County.

The Good Samaritan who found the dog (and named him) figured Noah had been attacked or beaten. It wasn’t until the dog was prepped for surgery that doctors got the whole picture.

Noah had been shot through the face.

X-rays would define Noah’s incredible story of survival: Shrapnel from a bullet remained lodged in the dog’s muzzle and shattered mandible. An inch of his tongue “was just blown away,” Craig said. Teeth were missing and his lower jaw hung in pieces by soft tissue.

Noah lived this way, Craig estimated, for least three weeks.

“He was pretty much starving to death,” she said.

Infection had set in and swelling was severe.

The vet used a lot of metal to piece the bones back together. An acrylic cover that resembles an exaggerated smile protects the surgical pins, which will be removed in six to eight weeks.

Denise Perry, the executive director at the, Riverside Humane Society, was relieved to find help for 4-year-old Noah, whom she called “the sweetest dog ever.”

A day after surgery Noah was happy and eating voraciously, despite the newly wired jaw. His silver coat was marred by scars and evidence of starvation, with bones protruding prominently through his skin. Noah showed no obvious signs of emotional trauma and eagerly approached the hospital staff and visitors for affection.

Mostly, he’s just hungry.

An ID chip in Noah’s back led the humane society to dead ends. He was bred at a puppy mill in Missouri and sent to the Moon Doggies pet store at The Block of Orange, which closed in mid-2008. The dog’s owners never enhanced the chip’s data, so the trail of where Noah lived remains a mystery.

“It’s unfortunate we can’t find the owner so we could pursue prosecution,” Perry said. “We don’t have any idea how he got shot like that; we can only speculate.”

For now, Noah’s story should only get better. He’ll spend the next eight weeks with a foster parent, who will help him heal and gain weight, Perry said.

“We’re going to find him a forever home,” she said. Noah will be available for adoption in about eight weeks.

For more information about the nonprofit Riverside Humane Society or to contribute to Noah’s care, go to www.petsadoption.com.  For more on Veterinary Surgical Specialists, go to their website.