Teddy, Philadelphia Crisis Response Dog Injured In Surfside, Getting Help Thanks To Generous Donations
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) -- A Philadelphia crisis response dog injured on the job in Surfside, Florida, is now home. Teddy is getting the help he needs and it's all thanks to generous donations.
These gorgeous faces aren't just pets, they have a mission to help those facing unfortunate circumstances.
"We've been through a number of active shooter events going back to the Pulse shooting in Florida, we've been to Las Vegas when you had the Route 91 Festival. We've been to Texas, and we've been to Virginia, we've been to Pittsburgh," John Hunt said.
Their latest mission was the condo collapse in Surfside, Florida. Crisis Response K-9 founder John Hunt, remembers the effect his dog had on one of the rescuers.
"He goes, 'No you don't understand. Having Axel here and allowing me that opportunity to spend brief time with him, he gave me what I needed to go back to the pile and continue to search for human beings,' or human remains at that point," Hunt said.
These crisis response dogs receive intense training and certifications before deployment. Most recently one of them, Teddy, needed emergency aid himself while on a mission after x-rays revealed a possible herniated disk in his spine and probable torn ligaments in his knees after three-and-a-half weeks offering psychological support to first responders and grieving families in Surfside.
"More than likely he probably had some sort of injury or some sort of problem in his hips before that activity is just exasperated," said Crisis Response K-9 volunteer Sophia Barrett.
Good Samaritans came to the rescue.
"We worked with incredible doctors in South Florida who worked literally around the clock, helping him. He did therapies from acupuncture, chiropractic, he did physical therapy and swim therapy. He even went into a hyperbaric chamber. And every day he's shown improvement. I'm starting to see his personality shine through again," Barrett said.
A GoFundMe raised over $49,000. Extras will be donated back to the Crisis Response K-9 nonprofit to invest in future responses.
