10/17/2026
We named him Comet because he arrived seemingly out of nowhere but looked like he had been traveling far. When we got the call, we knew that we couldn’t say “No.” A male collie had wandered into a local shop, frightened, and injured. He had crawled under one of the tables in a back corner, and was curled up there too frightened to move. He was clearly injured, possibly from being stuck by a vehicle, but was so frightened it was almost impossible to complete a full assessment. The people who worked there had spent several hours calling local shelters, rescues, police, and animal control, and checking local farms, homes, and businesses, but found no one able to help with this collie and no one who recognized him nor claimed ownership. They had even managed to get him to a local veterinarian to be scanned for a microchip. No chip was found.
There are a growing number of municipalities in Pennsylvania that have no provisions for intake of stray animals, and this is creating a huge burden on local rescues who are left to try to pickup the slack. Many of them are already at or above their capacity.
As the end of the day approached, it began to look like the only option for this collie, who looked like he had already been on his own for some time, and who was injured, would have to be to fend for himself outside overnight in whatever shelter they could manage to provide. When we got the phone call, there was less than an hour left until the shop’s closing time, and we were over an hour away, but we knew we had to find a way to say, “Yes,” and help this dog. We knew he would need immediate medical attention, hoped that he would be stable enough to be able to bring him to an ER local to us, and also hoped that he would be compatible with our one available, experienced foster home to provide whatever care he needed after his treatment. We really only had the one set of options. They needed to work for him.
Working together with his finders, we were able to prepare what was immediately needed and then travel the hour plus to meet him for the first time and hopefully transport back to a more local ER. Fortunately, he appeared stable enough for a longer transport. We could only partially see his injuries, but it was clear that at least two areas would require significant repair. We also noticed some older partly healed lacerations of unknown origin and numerous areas where his fur was so matted, we knew the only option would be to clip it to remove the mats. He was terrified of humans, and clearly wished that he could find a way to crawl even deeper into his own skin and vanish out of sight as the alternative to having to interact with the humans. But through all of this he showed not one ounce of aggression. He had to be carried to the car, not because he was unable to walk, but because he was simply too afraid to move. Based on our initial meeting we estimated his age to be about 6 years.
We took him straight to our local emergency center, VEG. He was found to be extremely dehydrated, with lacerations, abrasions, and bruising consistent with being struck by a vehicle. He had three significant, and severely infected lacerations, one on each leg and one ear. The deepest laceration on his right elbow had penetrated through muscle and tendons to expose bone. On top of all of that, he had knots in all of the typical collie areas (behind his ears, his rear end, tail, leg feathers, collar area) and other random areas, which knots would have given any sailor a run for his money. The older, partially healed lacerations, upon closer inspection, looked like someone had attempted to cut out similar knots in his fur using scissors or a sharp edge and had cut too close to his skin, actually cutting his skin. However, after this closer inspection, we realized that he is probably closer to 3 years old. His teeth looked wonderful!
He spent the next several hours on a drip to get rehydrated to lessen the risks of sedatives needed to repair his wounds and look for any other less obvious injuries. We are happy to report that his blood work was normal enough to not cause concerns with the sedative or any other drugs that might be needed. Note that we have not yet checked for heartworm or tick borne diseases, since they would not change the immediate focus. When he was ready, he was sedated, a full set of x-rays was done, and his various wounds were carefully and thoroughly cleaned and repaired. His knotted fur that could not be undone any other way was shaved, and he was given medication for the pain and antibiotics. We are happy to say that no fractures were seen on his x-rays. He does seem to have consumed some bones at some point, but not enough or in a manner that we would expect them to cause any obstruction as the material moves through his system. The primary remaining concern surrounds the two significant lacerations on his legs and how they will heal over the next several days. Even while he is on a broad spectrum antibiotic, there is the risk of bone infection on his right leg, so this is being watched very closely.
Basic rehydration and addressing the source of his pain left him noticeably perkier between Thursday evening and Friday morning. He is settling in with two foster brothers, and has already begun to show some personality. However, he continues to be extremely afraid of human contact, and has a long road of recovery ahead of him. He will learn how to live in a home, that humans can also be sources of good wonderful things, and that pottying happens outside.
After the knots were removed, and fur was cleared from various abrasions and bruises, his rear end looks like he is making his own personal salute to all of the rats that make dog sports like Barn Hun and Happy Ratter possible. This helps him fit right in with his foster brothers, since one of them is an expert at Happy Ratter. In fact, we have learned that his tail wags best when he is surrounded by his foster brothers.
He will not be available for adoption for some time yet. We have minimal staffing and are not able to respond to many inquiries relating to whether he is available for adoption. We need to focus on getting him better first. If you are interested in being considered for any dog, please simply go to our website and download, complete, and submit an application. We continue to need experienced foster homes as well who are willing to go through the review process and wait for the next urgent need. Otherwise, we will not be able to say “Yes” to the next Comet.
We exist only because of our volunteers and supporters. We are a small rescue. No one receives a salary. All money goes to the care of our dogs and basic administrative expenses.
The total cost of Comet’s care so far has been $2930.05, after a 25% discount from the emergency room. If you are interested in helping out with any part of that, please go to our website and donate directly using the provided PayPal link or mail a check to the rescue address on the site, made out to Collie Rescue of SEPA. All support is appreciated.
Enjoy the pictures of Comet’s journey so far. We will continue to post updates as we have them.
