Donations give injured Siberian husky a second chance

Delores Flynn / The Detroit News

Belleville -- Aaron, a 2-year-old Siberian husky, has a second chance at life. An outpouring of support helped raise $2,000 for surgery after he was struck by a car that didn't stop.

"I'm humbled and grateful by the overwhelming response from the community," said Mindy Storen, director of Close to Home Animal Advocates, which is caring for the dog. "It's just been incredible, especially in this economic climate."

The Southgate Police Department picked up the animal around 6 a.m. Sept. 28, after receiving calls of a limping dog dragging a 6-foot chain around his neck along Northline Road. He was taken to an emergency veterinary clinic, where his broken front leg was stabilized before he was released to Southgate Animal Control Officer Aaron Bertera.

Bertera took a liking to the dog and couldn't bear "to see him put down," he said.

"He is such a nice dog with beautiful eyes. But you could tell he wasn't well taken care of by his owners, and I wanted to give him a chance," Bertera said.

The dog, named Aaron after the officer, had a collar embedded in its neck, chafing from pulling on the chain he was tied to and misshapen ears from fly bites, Bertera said.

After trying unsuccessfully to find the owners, Bertera started calling animal rescue organizations before finding Close to Home, which houses elkhound, husky and malamute dogs.

The husky received three hours of orthopedic surgery last week to insert a bone plate to fix the broken radius and ulna bones in his leg, Storen said.

Aaron's recovery is expected to take eight weeks.

At that time, he'll be ready for adoption.

Closer to Home will scrutinize each applicant to find a suitable home since huskies require lots of attention and like to run, Storen said.

In the meantime, the nonprofit, which is funded by donations and is caring for 14 other animals, is accepting contributions for Aaron's care.

"He's doing really well, and the doctor expects Aaron to make a full recovery as long as he stays off the leg for a while," Bertera said.

dflynn@detnews.com (734) 462-2206