Cedar Rapids dog perseveres following hit and run

Puddles is tugging at the heartstrings of strangers from California to New York.   A car hit the Cedar Rapids dog this week, and the driver didn't stop to see if the motionless Pit Bull mix was okay.

“We thought we lost her,” says Jeff Bly.

Bly and his wife, Brenda, brought Puddles to their flood-damaged home in the Rompot neighborhood Sunday afternoon.  The flood destroyed almost everything, including their house, but the couple thought they could salvage a few things from the garage.  Puddles was outside playing when a car hit her near the edge of the front yard and kept driving.

Jeff and Brenda immediately called Karla Goettel at Flood Them with Love.  The local non-profit organization has been helping the couple emotionally and financially recover from the flood.  Flood Them with Love didn't hesitate to help the seven-year-old dog who has been through a lot following the flood.

“Her (Puddles) personality is like what a lot of us are going through right now. She's a flood survivor,” says Jeff.

Puddles had surgery Monday at the Iowa Veterinary Specialties in Des Moines.  She has a steel beam in her front left leg, as well as 75 staples near her neck.  Puddles also lost some teeth and has stitches underneath her mouth.  Her medical bills are nearing $4,000, but that amount is expected to grow over the next two months.

Jeff and Brenda are grateful for the immediate support from strangers, and they hope others will continue to contribute to Puddles' recovery fund.  They are struggling with their day-to-day finances, especially since Jeff lost his job last fall.  He was recently rehired at NC Pearsons  and returns to work Monday.

Puddles will visit a Cedar Rapids veterinarian for the next several weeks and will return to IVS in Des Moines for a follow-up appointment in two months.  Puddles has a long road to recovery, but Jeff and Brenda know their dog has the strength to bounce back from this painful ordeal.

“She's all we got. We love her to death,” says Jeff.

Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to Horizons, 819 5

^th

St. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52401.  Checks must be made out to “Horizons/Flood Them with Love”.  Be sure to put “Puddles” in the memo line.