When UC Davis veterinary student Jessica Hodson heard her boyfriend Ryan Reed say that he and his colleagues found an injured dog at work, she sprang into action to help the pup, which was taken to a shelter.

“I instantly knew that we had to help however we could,” said Hodson.

Reed, a heavy equipment operator at the Potrero Hills Landfill in Solano County, and his co-workers couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw a dog—since named Fig—crawl out of a trash load that had just been dumped in the landfill.

How the approximately 1-year-old male border collie/Australian shepherd mix got into the load remains a mystery. Was he abandoned at the landfill by a previous owner, or was he possibly scooped up by a garbage truck while scavenging for food in a bin? Either way, no owner has been identified.

Appearing injured, the dog crawled away from the dumped load, scared of his surroundings, shivering in the cold dampness.

The crew immediately called Solano County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Services to help them rescue the dog. Unable to stand on his hind legs, the pup dragged himself to a part of the landfill inaccessible by vehicle due to the heavy rain that day. When Animal Control arrived, Reed accompanied them to where Fig was on the expansive dump site, and they were able to get him to safety.

After being taken to Solano County Animal Care, x-rays revealed a fracture of his right femur and a fracture through the left ilial body (upper portion) of his pelvis. The fractures occurred near the urinary bladder, but fortunately an ultrasound revealed the bladder to be intact.

The shelter contacted the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) to see if Fig was a candidate for the UC Davis Fracture Program for Rescue Animals, part of the school’s Accessible Veterinary Care program. The Fracture Program partners with the Orthopedic Surgery Service to provide care for complex fracture cases while offering additional exposure to fracture management for students and surgery residents.

Upon arrival at the VMTH, Fig received immediate analgesia and underwent further diagnostic evaluation, which confirmed comminuted fractures of both the femur and ilium, indicating marked structural instability. Given the bilateral involvement of the pelvic limb and the complexity of the fracture patterns, functional mobility without surgical stabilization would have been highly unlikely.

The next day, orthopedic surgery faculty member Dr. Ming Lu and small animal surgery resident Dr. Siobhan Rickert performed surgical repair of Fig’s fractures. The ilial fracture was stabilized using a special anatomical plate carefully placed to avoid adjacent nerves and the hip joint. The femur, fractured into three fragments, was reconstructed using a combination of cerclage wiring, a plate, and screws. Fig was neutered and microchipped and recovered uneventfully from anesthesia.

“As one of the veterinarians who worked with Fig at Solano County Animal Care, I am so thankful to the university and the Fracture Program for their wonderful work on Fig and the many other injured pets they have assisted us with,” said Dr. Anne Chiruvolu, a 2021 alumna of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and a former Fracture Program volunteer while a veterinary student. “We are so lucky to have UC Davis in our community and providing this support to our shelter pets.”

Following surgery, many cases enrolled in the Fracture Program are medically fostered by veterinary students. This is where Hodson knew she and Reed had to be the ones to care for Fig, so she immediately volunteered to provide him with a foster home. Fig was discharged the following day with strict instructions for his care.

For Fig’s immediate recovery, he was placed on strict rest with exercise restriction, as too much activity can cause failure of the fixation necessitating additional surgery or result in loss of limb function. Fig was allowed controlled leash walks of 3-5 minutes for potty breaks. Hodson and Reed also assisted with rehabilitation by performing range of motion exercises on his legs.

While early functional improvement after fracture stabilization is expected and generally indicates good comfort, dogs often exceed safe loading limits when unsupervised. Consequently, controlled activity is critical during the recovery period.

Now, almost three weeks from surgery, Fig is gradually improving limb use, and his future looks bright.

Hodson’s medical training, as well as her and Reed’s newfound love for an injured, abandoned dog in need of help, have provided Fig with the ideal environment in which to heal, both physically and emotionally. The once scared, hurt, and hungry dog is now loved and safe.  

“We are grateful to be able to help these patients through the Fracture Program,” said Dr. Rickert. “We try to bring them in whenever possible. Many arrive with severe injuries, sometimes after prolonged periods without treatment, but the combined efforts of shelters, transporters, hospital staff, students, foster families, and the broader care team give these animals a chance to regain quality of life. We truly appreciate everyone involved in making those outcomes possible.”

Once Fig has fully recovered, Hodson and Reed are happy to become “foster fails” and plan to officially adopt him.

#   #   #

Editor’s note: Since the initial draft of this article, Jessica Hodson has earned her DVM degree, graduating from the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine on May 22, 2026. Congratulations, Dr. Hodson!