KULA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Kalae Calderon, her husband, and their four children are celebrating the little victories today – like their puppy, Sammy’s new wheelchair to help him get around more easily.
“Pellet guns can do more damage than you think,” Calderon said.
After not being able to find Sammy for a night last month, Calderon said her oldest child heard him whimpering on their front lawn the next morning.
“Our daughter heard him crying in the yard. So, she went to him, and I heard her yell, ‘Mom! Something’s wrong with Sammy! His neck is stuck backward!’ And he just couldn’t move, couldn’t walk toward her. He couldn’t even scoot himself. He just couldn’t move at all,” said Kalae.
An X-ray shows a pellet lodged in Sammy’s spine.
Veterinarians said it would cost up to $12,000 to remove it.
The Calderons tried to raise money but could only come up with about $1,445. So, they brought Sammy home to say goodbye.
“I was getting ready to take him down, to have him put down so that he wasn’t in pain, and maybe an hour before I left the house to take him down, the surgeon on Oahu called me,” said Kalae.
The veterinarian said anonymous donors came forward to cover the rest of the cost of Sammy’s surgery. In addition, the Finley Fort Foundation and Calvin and Susie Hawaii Animal Foundation covered the cost of Sammy’s rehabilitation.
Dr. Lam was able to remove the pellet in Sammy’s spine successfully.
“Such a blessing,” Kalae said. “And he called right in the nick of time because it would have been too late had we waited any longer.”
The Calderons want to know who shot Sammy.
The Maui Humane Society is asking for witnesses to come forward.
“There are charges that they could be faced with and have to go to court. They could face jail time and fines for this as well,” said Humane Enforcement Officer Erin Shapiro. “I wouldn’t give up hope. There are still ways that the community could come together and maybe figure out who did it.”
For Sammy, it’s the little victories — like when he has a hard time walking up the stairs and gets help from one of his siblings.
Read the article and watch the video segment at Hawaii News Now.
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