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Dog, Left For Dead, Making Amazing Recovery After Being Rescued By Veteran

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MCMURRAY (KDKA) -- A dog left for dead in the middle of the road was rescued, revived and is now recovering thanks to the teamwork of some local "vets."

Lucky was right on time Wednesday evening for his bi-weekly appointment at University Veterinary Specialists.

It does take some tasty incentives to get the 9-month-old pup through a full regimen of therapy, but his new owners know the treatments are vital to his recovery.

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(Photo Credit: KDKA)

Lucky was hit by a car and left for dead on a winding back road in New Martinsville, West Virginia, back in March. Zack Schultz was driving home from work that night and saw cars swerving around the animal.

"So, I pulled over to move off the road what I thought was a deer, and it wasn't. It was Lucky, and he wasn't responsive," he said.

Zack learned some life-saving on humans during his time in the Marines, so his instincts kicked in.

"I did chest compressions and he came back," Zack said.

Zack raced home to get his wife, Chelsey, in Waynesburg, and then they drove to the 24-hour emergency animal hospital in Washington County.

Lucky was in intensive care for days after Zack rescued him from the road. But, now, Lucky is making a lot of progress in his recovery. Running, fetching, playing and swimming.

Hydrotherapy plays a big role in Lucky's recovery.

"Really needs to have a lot of motion, so that's why we spend some of our time on the treadmill with all four of our limbs down like this, so that we can encourage him," said Meredith Wille, a certified canine rehab practitioner.

At first, even the staff wasn't sure if Lucky would survive.

"Knowing Lucky now, I'm not as surprised as when I first met him," said Wille. "He's a pretty resilient dog, and he has very dedicated owners."

"I was hoping that things would turn out okay, but it was still too early to tell, and that's what all the vets kept saying," said Chelsey. "So, while I was trying to be optimistic, there was that small piece that was like, well, look at him, he has a lot of injuries."

But thanks to the veterinarians and one veteran, Lucky's future is looking bright.

"That he'll just be a normal dog. That's what we're hoping for," Chelsey added.

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