Volunteers make 16-hour road trip to save injured pug Ohana

It took two volunteers, a flight to Cape Town, an emergency stop at the Beaufort Dierekliniek in Beaufort West and 16 hours on the road to save a pug with multiple injuries, including a fractured pelvis.

Meet Ohana.

Animal rescue organisation Pug Rescue was alerted to Ohana's plight after receiving a call from a Cape Town resident who spotted the dog in his garden. Pug Rescue dispatched one of its volunteers in the city to help take the dog to a vet to check for its microchip. It was then discovered that Ohana had been severely hurt and needed urgent care.

Pug Rescue, which runs its own sanctuary in Johannesburg and also has a longstanding relationship with the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute in Pretoria, knew that it had to find a way to get Ohana to Gauteng.

Because the law states that pets need a vaccination certificate in order to fly, volunteers decided to fly to Cape Town and drive all the way back.

On its Facebook page, Pug Rescue updated people on Ohana's progress, explaining how the two-year-old dog was feeling.

"His heart rate had increased and he was showing other symptoms of pain. We are so lucky that we managed to find such an incredible vet, who just wanted to help Ohana," read one post.

Cheryl Gaw, the founder and president of Pug Rescue, said when Ohana and his rescue team finally arrived in Pretoria late on Sunday February 10, the dog put on a brave face despite his pain.

"He really is a special boy. He might lose the use of one leg and could even face amputation, but he wagged his tail ," said Gaw.

Ohana is expected to undergo his first surgery on Tuesday, February 12. You can follow his progress here.