Anchorage Daily News

FAIRBANKS -- Pauly, a red Australian shepherd on the lam for the last six months, owes his life to Jay Andrews, who pulled him out of a roadside ditch after spotting the frozen fugitive alongside Chena Ridge Road.

Andrews was bitten three or four times through his gloves as he removed the dog from a hole and deposited him in the bed of his pickup, cushioning him on absorbent oil spill pads.

Pauly ran away in August, just three days after being adopted by a Fairbanks family from Turnagain Aussies in Wasilla.

Andrews said he stopped Tuesday because he knew there was no way a dog could live out there in minus 30 degrees.

"He was all covered in frost and snow and ice," Andrews said. "He was sitting there blinking and shivering and shaking. Evidently, he had been there some time. There was a trail going in and out of the hole."

A Norcon employee recently transferred from Anchorage, Andrews was on his way to jump-start a co-worker's car when he rescued the half-frozen dog and took it to the Chena Ridge Veterinary Clinic.

There, Dr. Jean Battig took over, muzzling the frightened animal before attending to his severe injuries.

"He couldn't stand up, and snow and frozen feces and urine were frozen onto his rear end," Battig said.

When Pauly arrived at the clinic Tuesday, he weighed 40 pounds, down from his usual weight of 60-70 pounds.

"He's probably one of the skinniest dogs I've seen that's not dead yet," Battig said.

As the snow and ice coating him melted, Battig began clipping away hair and cleaning wounds, exposing large areas of frost-bitten flesh, the skin mottled with open sores and some areas with blackened dead skin. Intravenous fluids spiked with nutrients and antibiotics were administered.

"He's lost a fair amount of skin, but I think he's going to keep his foot," Battig said. "Time will tell."

By midafternoon, Pauly was resting comfortably.

In a little more than 24 hours, Pauly gained 5 1/2 pounds and all his internal functions are good, Battig reported.

During his six months on the loose, Pauly lived up to his flyer description as "sweet and evasive."

"He's a very clever, very resourceful dog," said Shari Merdes, an Aussie owner who tracked Pauly from the city dump to the airport and to Chena Ridge on a number of occasions. Sometimes she got within arm's length of the skittish dog, but couldn't capture him.

Pauly's recovery is expected to take several months.

He will be moved to a rehab home for special care, but Battig will be seeing him daily to remove dead skin, until he is taken back to the breeder's home in Wasilla next week and cared for there.

And Pauly's temperament has definitely taken a turn for the better.

"He's kissing. He's very friendly, and he looks very thankful," Battig said.

"We all say we would love to hear his story."

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