Rufus: his rescue, surgery and recovery

By Viktor Larkhill · Updated 9 September 2026

When we went to collect Rufus in Seville, the person who had helped him told us he had been wandering around the town. People gave him food when they could. Someone had finally taken him to a vet.

He could not put weight on his left front leg. There were wounds on his body, some already infected, and his coat was badly matted. We could see that he needed hospital care. We had yet to discover what was beneath his skin.

The X-rays showed what we could not see

At the hospital, the team examined him and took blood samples. He was anemic. The painful leg needed investigating, so the vets gave him a little sedation and took X-rays.

Then the images appeared. Pellets were scattered throughout his body. There was one in the shoulder region, others elsewhere, and one frighteningly close to an eye. Rufus had been shot. We were looking at the evidence inside him.

He looked worn down, but the vets estimated that he was only around five years old. The X-rays also showed an old fracture that had already healed. His elbow was a different problem: the joint was damaged, he could not use the leg properly, and he needed a surgical assessment.

We began treating his wounds while the team worked out what could be done for the leg. Getting him off the street had brought him to a place where we could help. Now we had to understand the damage and give him a way to walk without that pain.

This is what happened when we collected him and brought him to the hospital.

Watch the rescue and first examinations on YouTube

While he waited, Carolina felt the pellets beneath his skin

The examinations had given us a clearer picture of what Rufus was carrying. While preparations for surgery continued, we could begin making him more comfortable.

Carolina helped bathe him. He was tired, with a tangled coat that needed attention, and his elbow still hurt when that area was touched. She worked gently, washing him and handling him with care.

Then she felt the pellets. What we had seen on the X-rays could also be felt beneath his skin. I showed her where they were. Her surprise was immediate. She had never cared for a dog in this condition, and she kept asking why anyone would do this to him.

There is a moment in that bath when her reaction tells you how difficult it is to take in. Rufus is right there in front of her, allowing himself to be cared for, with the pellets still inside him.

By the time she finished, he was clean and his coat had been dealt with. He was receiving antibiotics and food, and he had people looking after him. His leg remained the problem we still had to solve. The next step was the operation.

Watch Rufus being cared for before surgery on YouTube

The operation to give him a usable leg

As the surgeon assessed the elbow, the nature of the injury became clearer. He described a chronic problem, with a probably traumatic dislocation. The damage had been there long enough for considerable fibrosis, or scar tissue, to develop. That would make the operation more difficult.

The plan was an elbow arthrodesis. The surgeon would realign the limb and fix the joint with a metal plate and screws. The elbow would be held in a fixed position, with the aim of relieving the pain from the damaged joint and allowing Rufus to use the leg.

During surgery, the team had to work through that scar tissue and restore the alignment. Afterwards, the surgeon explained that they had preserved the angles Rufus would need to use the limb. The postoperative X-rays showed the fixation in the intended position.

He would still need months of recovery. But the operation had been completed, and we could bring him back to Casa Grande to begin the next part of his care.

In this third video, the surgeon explains the procedure, and you can see Rufus returning to us afterwards.

Watch the operation and Rufus’s return on YouTube

His first morning back

When Rufus arrived at Casa Grande, he was still groggy. His bed was ready, his leg was bandaged, and he needed quiet and rest.

The next morning, the team reported that he had slept well and was eating. Outside, he was already more willing to walk than he had been the previous day. We kept the outings very short. A little more energy did not mean the leg was ready for more activity.

There was medication to give, food to prepare and a recovery plan to follow. Those are the routines that now shape his days. He seeks affection, and the people around him have time to give it.

That is where the latest published update leaves Rufus: back in our care after surgery, with encouraging early signs and a long recovery ahead. We will keep adding his progress here so that you can follow what happens next.

To everyone who has helped him reach this point, thank you. Your support has helped us bring him from the street to the hospital, through surgery and back to a place where he can recover.

For journalists

For questions about Rufus, interviews or requests for original footage, contact Let’s Adopt International and mention Rufus. Please include the material you need and your deadline.