A young dog is fighting to survive after being hit by a car and left for dead, but it turns out it was not her first brush with death.
Each step is a challenge, but the 5-year-old Boxer mix has a will to live.
"How she survived this, to begin with, was a miracle, said Heather Glassman, who is helping the dog get a second chance at life.
Glassman calls her a Shining Star, and she's now on the road to recovery at Clint Moore Animal Hospital in Boca Raton.
"She wasn't even able to walk when we first took her in,” said Dr. Brian Butzer, chief veterinarian at Clint Moore Animal Hospital.
Glassman found Star lying in the middle of the road in Miami on Aug. 28. She first thought Star was a shopping bag, but her gut told her to turn around. It turns out Star was hit by a car and left for dead.
"I don't know how people could have such an uncaring heart that they could literally not only hit a dog and leave her there to die, but everybody else could continue to pass her up,” Glassman said.
Glassman took Star to an emergency clinic where an X-ray revealed she had also survived a shooting. The bullet severed nerves and left her front leg paralyzed.
"We thought she pretty much given up on life itself,” Butzer said.
Star is a fighter. She undergoing laser therapy to increase blood flow, and she’s swimming in the pool to help reduce muscle loss.
Butzer is caring for Star and is now optimistic. He says there’s a 75 percent chance Star won't lose her leg and will make a full recovery.
"I'm so grateful for her, I'm not giving up on her,” Glassman said.
“The love for people and the love for life that she has, and to see how far she's come is nothing short of very inspirational,” Butzer said.
It's unclear how Star was shot, but Glassman’s mission now is to find Star a loving home. She's also raising money for her recovery.
If you would like to help or adopt her, click here.