WSU’s Good Samaritan Fund Helps Injured Pitbull Recover After Rollover Accident
After a rollover accident left her dog severely injured and her savings nearly exhausted from mounting veterinary costs, Stacy Nichols of Cheney, Washington, feared she might lose her longtime companion, a 10-year-old pitbull mix named Penny. A referral to Washington State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital and support from the university’s Good Samaritan Fund changed the outcome.
Penny, a former service dog trained to alert Nichols to oncoming seizures, was thrown from a car window during the crash on a gravel road. In the days that followed, she was unable to move anything but her head. Nichols fed her blended food and water through a syringe while her local veterinarian worked to determine the cause of her paralysis. Without advanced imaging technology available, Penny was referred to WSU for further evaluation.
The university’s Good Samaritan Fund, established in 1996 by a graduating class of veterinary students, provides financial assistance for emergency or specialty care when owners are unable to cover the full cost. Since 2021, donor support has enabled the fund to provide more than $1 million in aid to about 2,100 animals, including dogs, cats, horses, reptiles, and small mammals.
Nichols applied for assistance and was approved, allowing Penny to receive a CT scan that revealed a fracture in the top vertebra of her neck and bruising of the spinal cord. Despite the severity of the injury, veterinarians determined Penny did not require surgery. Instead, she was given new medications, fitted with a support harness, and prescribed physical therapy.
“Just when you thought there was no hope, it was like God answering my prayers,” Nichols said of receiving support from the fund. “I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do; the Good Samaritan program really made it all possible.”
Within two weeks, Penny began showing significant improvement. Nichols said her primary veterinarian was surprised by the rapid progress when she returned for follow-up visits. Penny is now able to walk, climb stairs, and resume some of her normal activities, including play-fighting with the family’s younger dog, Tigger. She continues to regain strength and mobility.
Nichols said the assistance she received covered a substantial portion of the diagnostic imaging costs and made it possible for Penny to get the care she needed. She hopes to donate to the Good Samaritan Fund in the future.
