{"id":66644,"date":"2019-08-25T22:21:44","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T04:21:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/pup-shot-left-for-dead-has-new-home-on-a-ranch\/"},"modified":"2019-08-26T04:21:44","modified_gmt":"2019-08-26T04:21:44","slug":"pup-shot-left-for-dead-has-new-home-on-a-ranch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/pup-shot-left-for-dead-has-new-home-on-a-ranch\/","title":{"rendered":"Pup shot, left for dead, has new home on a ranch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><!-- gallery:74beb7d5-f8ea-4e2d-8ac8-e7251da096c9 --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video wp-block-embed-youtube naviga-video-embed\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jEsGSPHidUw\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>RED MESA \u2013 Gil \u201cthe wonder pup,\u201d a paraplegic dog from Arizona, completed his journey to find a \u201cforever home\u201d when he arrived last week in southwest La Plata County.<\/p>\n<p>Gil\u2019s journey started more than 400 miles away on the San Carlos Reservation where a family found him whimpering under a tree during a rainstorm.<\/p>\n<p>An unknown person had shot Gil point-blank a couple of weeks earlier, and Gil was in bad shape. The young pup\u2019s underside had been ravaged from crawling across the ground, and he suffered gastrointestinal issues. His outlook didn\u2019t look good. The family surrendered Gil to a local veterinarian; he was likely to face euthanasia.<\/p>\n<p>His journey gained momentum when a woman adopted him from the veterinary clinic.<\/p>\n<p>Donations poured in to assist Gil and his foster owners on the road to recovery, including surgeries and supplies. Whoever shot Gil got him in the spine, removing any chance of Gil walking on his own again. He now walks with the help of a wheelchair made just for him.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image naviga-inline-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=de83f4d9-0984-439b-be42-9f43eff4dcef&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=2000\" alt=\"Gil joins a ranch in the Hesperus area along with other animals, including dogs and livestock. Alena Alvarez-Mroz adopted him while searching for a disabled rescue dog to join her family.\" class=\"naviga-image\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Gil joins a ranch in the Hesperus area along with other animals, including dogs and livestock. Alena Alvarez-Mroz adopted him while searching for a disabled rescue dog to join her family.<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><p>Although Gil\u2019s foster owner, Kim Kelly, wanted to keep him, she knew her lifestyle wasn\u2019t suitable for Gil in the long-term, and that eventually when he was healthy she would put him up for adoption. She took him to adoption events and advertised online. She eventually found Gil a home this summer when Alena Alvarez-Mroz, a New Mexico woman who recently moved to a Colorado ranch, found him advertised on Facebook.<\/p>\n<p>Alvarez-Mroz said meeting Gil for the first time was an emotional mix: she said it was a dream come true, she but also felt scared and nervous.<\/p>\n<p>Gil, believed to be about 2 years old, isn\u2019t the only four-legged resident at the Hermosa ranch; he joins seven other dogs, chickens and alpacas. His new home allows him \u201cfreedom\u201d and an open area to run. The 40-acre ranch features a gravel driveway and dry, long grass surrounding the house.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image naviga-inline-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=96304f5d-a766-4977-8397-c799e320d479&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=2000\" alt=\"Gil was outfitted with a wheelchair to give him mobility.\" class=\"naviga-image\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Gil was outfitted with a wheelchair to give him mobility.<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><p>Alvarez-Mroz takes Gil for walks on the property six to eight times a day. She reports he is assimilating well to his new environment.<\/p>\n<p>She takes him out to the main road where he can use his wheelchair easier.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe really picks up speed,\u201d Alvarez-Mroz said.<\/p>\n<p>Gil has been fascinated by a ferret and a cat that share the ranch with him, his new owner said, adding that it may be a reaction to his survival on the reservation.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image naviga-inline-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=d5065d5a-86ed-4e74-bbe0-50f6bd33ca11&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=2000\" alt='Before leaving Tuscon, Arizona, Gil gained a &lt;a href=\"https:\/\/www.kgun9.com\/news\/local-news\/it-is-a-miracle-and-it-is-what-we-wanted\"&gt;fan base that even held a going-away party for him&lt;\/a&gt;. His new adventures can be followed on &lt;a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gilthewonderpup\/\"&gt;Facebook&lt;\/a&gt; and &lt;a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gil_the_wonderpup\/\"&gt;Instagram&lt;\/a&gt;.' class=\"naviga-image\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Before leaving Tuscon, Arizona, Gil gained a &lt;a href=\"https:\/\/www.kgun9.com\/news\/local-news\/it-is-a-miracle-and-it-is-what-we-wanted\"&gt;fan base that even held a going-away party for him&lt;\/a&gt;. His new adventures can be followed on &lt;a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gilthewonderpup\/\"&gt;Facebook&lt;\/a&gt; and &lt;a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gil_the_wonderpup\/\"&gt;Instagram&lt;\/a&gt;.<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><p>\u201cI don\u2019t know if he knows that there\u2019s something different about him,\u201d Alvarez-Mroz said. Gil tires out more quickly than the other animals, but he plays with them just the same.<\/p>\n<p>Before arriving to Hesperus, Gil underwent surgery to remove the bullet and \u201cintense\u201d physical therapy, and continues to face challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Kelly said his current condition is where he will be for the rest of his life.<\/p>\n<p>Gil\u2019s injuries rendered him bowel and urine incontinent, and he <a href=\"https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/care-gil-wonderpup-002221601.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">requires help from his owners<\/a> to go to the bathroom. Alvarez-Mroz must squeeze on his bladder and check his colon several times a day.<\/p>\n<p>Alvarez-Mroz said she has been rescuing animals for many years and wanted a disabled dog, so she purposely searched for one.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image naviga-inline-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=bff5ffa6-5d61-4a54-a227-e171caef5692&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=2000\" alt=\"Gil continues to face medical issues and is expected to develop arthritis later in life because of the pressure he exerts on his legs.\" class=\"naviga-image\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Gil continues to face medical issues and is expected to develop arthritis later in life because of the pressure he exerts on his legs.<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><p>Kelly expects Gil to develop arthritis later in life, because he exerts so much pressure using his front legs. Alvarez-Mroz said to improve his circulation, she massages his spine. She also rotates his hind legs as if he were pedalling a bicycle to promote blood flow to those legs. Kelly said Gil experiences pain in his front limbs and around his spine and takes pain medication twice a day.<\/p>\n<p>But for Alvarez-Mroz, Gil is just another rescue, with a couple more issues than normal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s young, resilient, he\u2019s inspiring,\u201d Alvarez-Mroz said.<\/p>\n<p>Kelly said his new home on the ranch is exactly what her and her group of volunteers were looking for. They wanted a place for Gil to have room to move and live with other animals, particularly dogs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we all wanted something \u2026 like a ranch,\u201d Kelly said. \u201cSo I think we were kind of all putting that out into the universe trying to hope for something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For now, Gil will spend his days at the ranch, but Alvarez-Mroz said she will eventually take him for walks in downtown Durango. He also has earned an impressive following in Arizona including on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gilthewonderpup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gil_the_wonderpup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a> where people can keep up with the his adventures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the end of his road,\u201d Alvarez-Mroz said. \u201cA new beginning, a new chapter for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em class=\"mwc_shirttail\"><a href=\"mailto:bmandile@durangoherald.com\">bmandile@durangoherald.com<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>found whimpering under a tree in Arizona<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":66645,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3586,585,28,884,316],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-66644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-arizona","tag-assault-general","tag-headlines","tag-hermosa","tag-video"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66644"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66644\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66644"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=66644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}