Walter and Mr. Dinker
While doing Street Vet Work in Skid Row, Los Angeles (home to the largest concentration of individuals experiencing homelessness in the nation), we came across Walter and his dog Mr. Dinker sitting on the sidewalk. Walter had a dog toy and was playing fetch with his best friend.
Dr. Kwane approached Walter and explained the mission of our work, but Walter was leery about letting a stranger handle Dinker. This can be a common response to our team at first, but as with many of our interactions once owners begin talking about their pets trust is formed. Walter told his story and how Dinker means so much to his mental stability living through such a difficult situation.
After some conversation, Walter allowed Dr. Kwane to examine Dinker and discovered a very rare condition called Periurethral Hypospadia that causes serious urinary issues. We called upon our partner Dr. Antonio Pedraza, a specialist who was gracious enough to make a visit to Skid Row to examine Dinker. He confirmed the condition and explained that a complicated surgery could prevent Dinker from eventually experiencing a life-threatening infection in the future. Walter agreed to take Dinker to the hospital to get some further tests done. He was so worried about losing Dinker, bringing him and us to tears. “I can’t let anything happen to him, he’s all that I got.”
At Beverly Oaks Animal Hospital, x-rays and urine tests were completed to give Walter all the possible options for Dinker. In the end, Walter was too concerned about Dinker going through the extremely invasive procedure and the possibility of losing him. He opted to treat Dinker’s condition with medication and we scheduled on going checkups to make sure his condition did not worsen. Hopefully, Walter and Dinker can remain inseparable for years to come.
