Meet Molly

[Are_grits_groceries]

Meet Molly.She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Hurricane Katrina hit southern Louisiana . She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled.


While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became
infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind.He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her.She protected her injured leg.She constantly shifted her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee, and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.

'This was the right horse and the right owner,'Moore insists.

Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient.

She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood that she was in trouble.The other important factor, according to Moore, is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in Post-Katrina Louisiana ...

The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb.

A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.

The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports.

And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants
you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life, Moore said. She survived the hurricane,
she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.'

Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she's going to be better.To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/prosthetic-leg-pony.shtml

To Molly, the vets, and everyone who helped.... :toast:

[Mari333]

1. a good story to wake up to

thanks. needed that. hugs.

[grannie4peace]

2. cool post!!!!

molly IS a hero!!!!!!!!

[Solly Mack]

3. K&R

:)

[cali]

4. Wow. What a story. I just fell in love with Molly

and all those who helped her. k&r.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

5. Excellent!

A little compassion can go a long way, especially where animals are concerned. Thanks for posting.

K&R

[Are_grits_groceries]

6. Molly is special. nt

[Iwillnevergiveup]

7. Another kick

for the just-rising crowd.:hi:

[sandyj999]

8. Wonderful way to start my day! I do love those "critters"! n/t

[tbyg52]

9. Wow. I did not know that horses could tolerate prosthetics.

As a matter of fact, I thought they *couldn't*. Remember that racehorse they tried to save?

I would like to meet Molly!

[bklyncowgirl]

18. This is a very rare thing--and a very special pony.

She seems to have the ideal temperment for this sort of treatment. Also her small size made her a more likely candidate than a 1,200 pound racehorse would be. Finally, they seem to have been very lucky.

Molly, unlike Barbaro, the most famous failure at extreme equine surgury, did not contract laminitis, a very painful condition caused by inflamation of the blood vessels under the hoof wall, from putting too much weight on her good limb. If Barbaro had not contracted laminitis, he most likely would have survived. How full a life he would have been able to enjoy, however, is questionable. Barbaro, too, cooperated with his treatment but despite an owner who was willing to spare no expense to save him, and a great medical team, he was unable to overcome his physiology.

It's great to see this little pony doing well but you're sort of comparing apples and oranges here. There are things you might be able to do with a miniature poodle that you couldn't do with a greyhound.

[ljm2002]

10. What a wonderful story!

Thanks for sharing it!

[G_j]

11. big K&R!

[LWolf]

12. Thank you.

What a lovely story, and a lovely lady Molly is.

[Are_grits_groceries]

13. She is at that! nt

[Catamount]

14. Oh that is fabulous!

Thanks for the posting--and she's absolutely a symbol of hope--wherever it's needed.

K&R

[Norrin Radd]

15. kr

[Hekate]

16. Now that made me smile. What a sweet story.

To Molly and all :toast:

Hekate

[Brucie Kibbutz]

17. this is too cool

"The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports.

And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants
you to put it on."


Thanks for posting such a great story. :kick:

[jules1962]

19. Thanks to all that helped Molly.

The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged on how it treats its amimals. Gandhi