DENVER (KDVR) - For months, a white Australian shepherd could be seen frequenting the streets of Denver. The stray concerned residents enough for them to reach out to Denver Animal Protection, which had little success in capturing the slippery canine.
Concern grew when people began to notice the dog appeared to have been shot in the face. A community came together to finally bring the dog, later named Solo Vino, to the Denver Animal Shelter so he could get the help he needed.
Now, seven months after the initial calls to the animal shelter, Solo Vino looks and acts like a new dog.
"You really wouldn’t know. He’s perfectly well-adapted," said Jonathan Alesso.
Alesso and James Mikula happened upon Solo Vino after they decided they wanted to foster a dog. They felt a connection with him.
"I didn’t know his history, but he looked like a great match and my heart went out to him," Alesso said. "I didn’t know he was shot and ... had been a stray."
He was a medical foster so he had to wear a cone and muzzle for two months while the fractures in his jaw healed. On top of that, Alesso and Mikula had to give him five medications twice a day.
"It’s sad to think about, but really, we’re just focused on getting him better," Mikula said.
For the first couple of weeks, Solo mostly kept to himself.
"He was a little shy. Didn’t want to eat much. And didn’t want to walk too much either," Alesso said.
Then, after about three weeks, they started to notice a change.
"I came home from work or whatever and he had actually wagged his tail for the first time so that was really exciting to tell the shelter staff that, you know, he was showing some happiness," Mikula said.
Eventually, a medical foster turned into an adoption.
"We really took to him and he to us, and it just felt right," Mikula said.
A small scar remains on Solo's snout as a reminder of the hard work put in to make Solo's story one with a happy ending.
"I can’t say enough for the team at the Denver Animal Shelter. It was a group effort, and it all worked flawlessly, and the team there is very reliable," Alesso said. "I just encourage anyone, if you see a stray dog in the neighborhood, if you see an injured dog, please contact the shelter. They’re there to help."
