One Lucky Dog: Bulldog Lucky’s Remarkable Survival

When the emaciated stray bulldog was brought to the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital by a Good Samaritan who saw the scarred, starving dog wandering in the freezing cold, doctors almost turned the dog away. The hospital does not usually take strays and instead advises rescuers to bring them to the SPCA. That night, however, was a lucky night.

At the mere sight of the dog, barely alive, one doctor could not bear to refuse care to the struggling bulldog.

On that same night, the Collins family of Rosemont, PA received a phone call that the Veterinary Hospital had found their dog that they identified via microchip. “My stomach dropped,” Nichole Collins told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Appropriately named Lucky, the bulldog was adopted by the Collins family after relatives could no longer keep him. The family named the dog Lucky because of his good fortune of having been given a new and loving home to live in.

Yet, four years later Lucky’s ‘luck’ seemed to have taken a downward turn as the Collins family had to give him away when Lucky snapped at their youngest son John (then eight years old) after John had jumped on Lucky when he was sleeping—biting off the child’s eyelid and clipping the end of his eye. Although the family knew the incident was an accident for the usually gentle pup, the family with young children did not want to take the risk.

So, when the Collins family received a phone call from the hospital they were in utter shock. John Collins (father) had given Lucky to a coworker after the incident with his son, but soon lost touch with his coworker and in effect any news of Lucky.

When the family arrived at the hospital to see their long lost furry friend, they learned that the dog had a weak pulse, abrasions, fur loss and had developed anemia. It seemed as if fortune’s wheel was not spinning in Lucky’s favor.

Lucky, however, is a dog that lives up to his name.

After a night on fluids, the dog was able to regain enough strength for Collins to take the dog home to her family the next day. Even though Lucky has a long way to go in terms of recovery, he is back with a family that loves him and proves that against all odds, he has the strength—and luck—needed to survive.

What do you think about Lucky’s story? Share your thoughts in a comment below.