Jesse's Story (Sorry, but it's really long)

Hi! I've only had PT for a while, and I don't have any pics of my pets, but I will soon!
I have a three-legged dog named Jesse and if you want to read her story about, here it is!!Sorry it is so long!-

My dad was taking my sisters, and me out to my families shack (we fourwheel and have hot dog roasts at family gatherings!) and Jesse LOVES to ride in the back of out pick up. She often lays right by the passenger part of the pick up though. Well, in order to get to out shack, we have to go along a highway and Jesse has been perfectly fine there many times before. Well, this day was very windy and the pick up would sway a little bit because of the wind. One of my sisters happened to be watching Jesse and all of a sudden screamed,"JESSE FELL OUT!" I thought that she had just looked back and Jesse was laying where you can't see her. I was wrong. When I looked back, I saw Jesse rolling down the ditch! I don't remember what I said, but my dad turned around and Jesse got up and came out of the ditch. We were too far to see, but she wasn't using her leg. Well, she limped out of the ditch infront of another pick up! The driver had seen Jesse fall out and was all ready slowing down. Jesse got scared and ran into the other lane in front of a van. It was only inches away from hitting her! Jesse bolted away and the van followed her for about 1/4 of a mile. We finally got ahead of her, if you get grossed out easily, don't read whats in tha parenthesis, (Jesse's leg flipped out about to a 45 degree angle as she was running back to us). We brought her to a vet and the prognosis was a shattered knee, broken ankle, and a piece of bone that was chipped of around her knee that was in her ankle. They gave us three options:
1. Euthanasia
2. Amputation of the leg
3. Go to the University, and spend $3,000 alone on one vet visit and get her knee put back together, only to have to prolbably amputate it in the end.

My family didn't hav enough money to go to the University, and I wouldn't let them euthanize her (they didn't really even think about that, I just told them that they couldn't!) So we ended up with one option, amputation. People were asking me why in the world would I not just put her down and buy two "purebred" puppies that would be just as good as Jesse. I blew up at them and told them that I want Jesse no matter what she looks like.

Sorry again that this was so long, but thanks for reading!!:D When I can get a pic, I'll show one of her!

I am so so sorry about what happened to Jesse :( I hope she is getting along well with her three legs. Dogs are very adaptable to those situations. I can't wait to see a picture of her!

Have you thought about putting a crate in the back of the pickup and tying the crate down? That'd way she'd be much safer and you can be assured nothing else like that would happen.

Welcome to PT...and Jesse is very lucky to have you..I can tell you really love her.

Welcome!
Yes, three legged dogs can get by almost as if nothing ever happened! I'm so glad Jesse is ok, and I hope you will spred the word NEVER to let your dog loose OR tied in the back of a pickup truck. I agrree you should pick up a crate like one of these and secure it down tightly:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ngy/crates.jpg
You can get them used for pretty cheap on ebay.

Jesse is lucky your her parent.:)

Glad everything worked out for Jesse, I have seen a few three-legged dogs and they seem perfectly content. I mean no offense and far be it from me to lecture, but I HATE seeing a loose dog in the back of a truck - far too many things can happen, even for the best trained of dogs!
Again, I'm glad Jesse is ok, happy, and of course, with you!