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Caring group gives injured dog a chance at finding good home
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Charlene DePalma, who helped this dog named Vinny who was hit by car, and Louis Gastelum, who is providing foster care for the dog, at Gastelum's Youngstown home.
The dog that was once in danger of losing a leg or his life now just needs a good home.
YOUNGSTOWN — Mere weeks ago, Vinny was malnourished, injured and without a home, but some would still consider the boxer mix one lucky dog.
According to Charlene DePalma, Vinny’s story, at least the part anyone knows of, started one evening several weeks ago when the year-old pooch wandered onto the parking lot of the Center for Dialysis Care in Howland. He crawled under the car of a co-worker and refused to come out.
DePalma, a woman with a love for dogs so great it is reflected in her “K-9 MOM” license plates, called police, who informed employees at the facility that the dog had been hit by a car earlier that day on U.S. Route 46, but had run off before authorities had arrived.
The Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County took possession of Vinny, but he was almost doomed because of his appearance.
DePalma said she called the nonprofit humane organization to check on Vinny’s welfare the following day and was told the dog would likely lose his hind leg, “but it doesn’t matter because he will be euthanized anyway.” She said there is a policy against adopting out dogs that have the appearance of a pit bull mix.
DePalma, her co-worker Melissa Readman, under whose car Vinny first sought refuge, and a close friend, Katie Costello, went to work raising funds for Vinny’s care. After some coaxing and assurances that he would be properly cared for, the charitable organization released him to the trio.
Vinny underwent an extensive $600 surgery to his hind leg and now walks with a limp. He is being fostered by a couple — Brian Wells and Louis Gastelum — near Liberty Township.
“We just love dogs,” said Gastelum. “We have three dogs of our own, and I just hope that if something happened to one of our dogs or they run away someone would do for them what we are doing for Vinny.”
DePalma said all the effort that has gone into nursing and caring for Vinny will be well worth it once they find the medium-size white dog with the brown patch over his face a permanent home.
“I’ve been doing this for years. Right now I have three dogs, two cats, a horse and one very patient husband. [Animals] get such a raw deal. We domesticated them and now they are so often abused. If you can help one, that’s one less that is suffering,” she said. “Vinny just needs a wonderful home.”
DePalma is asking that anyone with the time and space who is interested in giving Vinny a home call her at (330) 501-9426.
jgoodwin@vindy.com