PULLMAN -- Chocolate lay on the metal operating table, his breaths slowing as the anesthesia kicked in.
Beside the 18-month-old Chesapeake Bay retriever's head was his favorite toy -- the bright yellow nubby ball that has accompanied him through his whole journey.
Veterinary orthopedic surgeon Steve Martinez said the surgery was one of the most challenging of his career, and that Chocolate has been extremely resilient.
"He certainly has the desire to go on and do well and that is going to be a big help for him," he said.
The dog broke his legs about six months ago, probably from being hit by a car. He didn't receive any veterinary care until now because he was abandoned in a field in north Pasco, eating what he could find to survive.
Martinez removed muscle and ligament tissue where Chocolate's broken leg had improperly healed. The dog's range of motion in his left leg jumped from 10 percent to 80 percent after the operation. He said it is now up to physical therapy to maintain this range.
Because the surgery revealed more scarring than expected, Martinez elected to hold off on operating on the other leg. A second surgery is scheduled for noon Monday.
"The big issue for me is going to be him getting retrained to use his front legs," Martinez said. "He's been getting around so long without using his front legs, he's going to have to realize he's got them again."
Chocolate spent Friday morning showing off what he could do with just his hind legs. Two students took him outside to play with his yellow ball, videotaping his movements. He didn't miss a beat, jumping for the balls and walking on two legs, his brown tail wagging the whole time.
Darin Watkins, a spokesman for the WSU School of Veterinary Science, said small-caliber lead fragments and pellets were found in Chocolate's chest.
Sonia Ayala of Pasco found Chocolate and took him home last month. But she couldn't afford to help him and was featured in a Herald story Tuesday.
Meadow Hills Veterinary Center in Kennewick took him in and contacted WSU after some of the vet center's clients said they wanted to help the dog.
A volunteer drove Chocolate to Pullman on Wednesday night and even braved a blizzard on the way back.
Brian Conrad, practice manager at Meadow Hills Veterinary Center, said about $21,000 has been donated to Chocolate's cause. The majority of the money is expected to be spent on Chocolate's medical expenses and if any is left over it will go toward creating a charity in Chocolate's name to help other dogs in similar situations.
As of Friday, there'd been 40 requests to adopt him.
Since arriving in Pullman, Chocolate has received the adoration of students and staff. Veterinary school spokesman Charlie Powell said there is no better place for the dog to be.
"With all due bragging, if you're going to have a situation like this, you're in the best place in the world," he said.
Kamala Severs, a fourth-year graduate student in the veterinary college, has been taking care of Chocolate since he arrived. She said animals like him always steal the hearts of the staff and anyone who hears of his story.
"People just see this dog that was abandoned with no one to care for him and they feel they want to do anything they can to help him out," she said.
* Brian Everstine is editor of The Daily Evergreen at Washington State University and a former Tri-City Herald intern.
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