Lucky, the dog rescued from SEPTA tracks, is ready for adoption

Lucky, the pitbull mix that was abandoned and paralyzed on SEPTA train tracks in Montgomery County last year, is looking for a home after spending the last two months recovering from his injuries. 

Lucky underwent spinal surgery at the University of Pennsylvania's Ryan Veterinary Hospital after being saved from the tracks by the nonprofit Philly Rescue Angels in late November. He has been recovering at a foster home and now is ready to be adopted.

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When the Philly Rescue Angels first shared Lucky's story, the organization received an influx of social media attention and inquiries about helping the dog. Now that he is recovering, Philly Rescue Angels is asking people to continue sharing Lucky's story in hopes of finding him find a worthy permanent home.

"We are pretty upset that when we initially rescued Lucky, we had people offering to foster, or adopt Lucky, every day," the nonprofit wrote on Instagram. "Tons of people were practically begging to take him into their home. Now that Lucky needs a new foster, or adopter everyone disappeared. We need your help to find Lucky his forever home."

Rescuers believe Lucky spent two days ducking under trains before finally being pulled from the tracks near Lawndale Station. His rescue was spearheaded by Philly Rescue Angels, with help from the Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia and SEPTA officials, who stopped trains on the Fox Chase Lines.

"He would pancake down onto the tracks and the trains would just run over him again and again," Sidara Son, a member of Philly Rescue Angels, said in December. "So for two days, he was stuck on that train track, with trains just going over him and just fighting to survive. Like it's a miracle he lives. ... It's a total miracle."

Though Lucky survived, his spine was severed, leaving him paralyzed. When he arrived at Penn Vet, his spinal fracture was among the worst the vets at the hospital had ever seen, leading vets to believe that he had been struck by a train at some point. 

The 2-year-old, 50-pound dog made it through a 6-hour spinal surgery that placed two plates along his spine, with the intention of alleviating some of his pain. He will never walk again. Instead, he will use a wheeled cart to get around.

Since being released from the hospital, Lucky has been showing great improvement at his foster home, according to Philly Rescue Angels. He is now able to stand and hold his hind legs up a bit with minimal assistance, and has been showing some movement in his tail.

The Philly Rescue Angels want potential adopters to know that Lucky requires extra care due to his injuries, and will need continued physical therapy on his road to recovery.

The organizations describes him as an overall "happy boy" who plays with toys and enjoys walking and running in his wheeled cart. His current foster home has multiple small dogs, and Lucky gets along with them.

Lucky should not be placed in a home with young children, according to Philly Rescue Angels, and his adoptive parents must be able to lift him. Preferably, his new family would be home often, so as not to leave Lucky confined for long periods of time. 

Applications to foster or adopt Lucky can be found online.