11:12 AM MST on Tuesday, April 25, 2006

By Cassandra Mazur / Special to azfamily.com

What 2-year-old Australian Shepherd wants to sit around all day and relax? None, and Scooter is no different! This fun-loving pooch cannot wait until the day he can run and play again!

But why sentence such a great boy to days filled with nothing but bed rest? Turns out it's doctor's orders. Scooter is in phase one of a two-part surgery.

Dr. Gary Moody, a veterinarian for Mobile Surgical Services in Mesa, recently performed a patella stabilization surgery to fix one of Scooter's genetically deformed knees. Without the gracious efforts of Moody, Scooter would be walking around with his knees popping in and out of place, which is very painful and makes walking extremely difficult.

Scooter came to the Arizona Animal Welfare League from Maricopa County Animal Care & Control and it was discovered that he needed a $5,000 surgery to fix his painful knee condition. AAWL employees worked very hard to raise the money needed to cover that cost. Moody offered to complete the two surgeries at a lower rate, and amazing donations from supporters of AAWL all helped to make the surgeries possible.

Scooter is scheduled for his second surgery on May 25. He will then need anywhere from two to four months to recover. In the meantime, Scooter is spending his time in foster care with AAWL's shelter manager, Gina Vance. He is enjoying special attention from Vance and her four resident dogs.

As soon as Scooter is fully recovered, this handsome young man will be put up for adoption, in the hope of finding a new loving home.

Scooter is not the only animal that could use your help. Thousands of animals pass through AAWL each year, and many of them need just a little extra care. Your donations help give each animal a chance for a new life they deserve. For more information on how you can help, please visit the Arizona Animal Welfare League's Web site at www.aawl.org.