A year ago this month, a local couple took a chance and rescued a dog who was on the brink of death. From rags to riches, this is Winston’s story.
Dave Pasbrig was walking his dog, Charlie, along 13th Street near Ridge Street in the Loft District of Philadelphia one evening when he saw something unusual.
“I saw something move in a gutter out of the corner of my eye,” Pasbrig said. “I went over to check it out, and I was shocked by what I saw.”
Pasbrig found a small white Bichon Frise-mix covered in trash and leaves, halfway in the gutter. He called his partner, Joe Marra, right away.
Marra arrived and carefully lifted the dog, whom they later named Winston, off the street, insisting that they take him home with them.
“He was all bloody from head to toe,” Marra said. “He was bleeding from his ears and other parts of his body. His hair was matted with blood.”
At home, Marra gently cleaned Winston.
“I had to be careful,” he recalled. “I knew he had serious injuries, but I needed to get the blood off him.”
“He was either run over by a car and crawled to the curb,” Pasbrig said, “or he was abused and left to die.”
Marra and Pasbrig gave Winston a bath, and then consulted a mutual friend, Alex Collada, a veterinarian at Pitman Animal Hospital in Pitman, N.J.
The next day, Collada was able to fully assess Winston.
The prognosis did not look good. According to Collada, Winston had a spiral fracture to his leg, a ruptured eardrum and nerve damage to his face. It was recommended that he be put down.
Marra and Pasbrig were not necessarily looking to add another dog to their family, but things changed the night after the vet visit.
“Dave and I were getting ready for bed. Winston was downstairs because he was still in shock and not sure what was happening,” Marra said. “But then he surprised us both when he started walking up the stairs, dragging his bad leg, just to be with us.”
The couple couldn’t resist and decided to keep Winston.
Winston then underwent surgery to amputate his bad rear leg, and was on heavy medication for several weeks afterward to ease the pain.
Once Winston was healthy again, Marra brought him to his hair salon in Rittenhouse Square to help Winston feel fabulous again. Lucky for Winston, Salon Bass is not just any ordinary salon. It was recently named by Allure magazine as the top salon in Philadelphia.
“I gave Winston the five-star treatment,” Marra said. “He looks even more adorable now.”
Looking and feeling his best, Winston quickly settled into a good life with Marra and Pasbrig.
For only having three legs, Winston is surprisingly active. He enjoys walks with his brother Charlie and occasionally entertaining clients at Salon Bass.
He even has his own Instagram account, @win3ton.
To report animal cruelty, call the Pennsylvania SPCA in Philadelphia at 1-866-601-SPCA.
