Dog Saved With Emergency Surgery In Levittown After Suffering Stab Wounds

A dog is recovering from a deep stab wound after a tragic killing took the life of her owner.

The 10-year-old shi tzu named Shammy received emergency surgery at Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center (VSEC) on Veterans Highway in Levittown.

“It’s a miracle,” said the victim’s son, Doug McLaughlin. “This is a piece of my mother that we can have with us.”

According to news reports, an acquaintance of Virginia McLaughlin stabbed her and himself in her Northeast Philadelphia home. Both died. The attacker also stabbed Shammy.

“My mom treats her animals like people and they really get a special personality,” said her son Tom McLaughlin. “Without a dog, my mom would have been kind of lost.”

As the family dealt with the loss of McLaughlin, neighbors brought Shammy to Dr. Deborah Rubin of VCA Knightswood, because they knew she had treated her in the past. Dr. Rubin saw that Shammy was suffering from a deep stab wound in the right side of her chest and was having difficulty breathing.

Rubin sent X-rays to Dr. Samuel Durkan of VSEC, who is board-certified in veterinary emergency and critical care. He urged her to bring Shammy in to VSEC’s hospital in Levittown.

At VSEC, Shammy was stabilized and given pain medication. Dr. Sabrina Reilly, a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist, made sure the dog was properly anesthetized in preparation for emergency surgery.

Dr. Lauren Deahl, a VSEC surgery resident, saw that Shammy had a deep gash in her right chest, broken ribs and a bruised lung. The stabbing missed Shammy’s heart by a fraction of an inch.  She was in respiratory distress because of the open wound in her chest cavity. Deahl put the ribs and muscles back in place, closing them with surgical sutures, and also sutured up the outside wound. A chest tube was temporarily put in place to drain excess fluids.

“She was very critical,” said Dr. Deahl. “Without treatment, within a few hours she would have passed away. She required a lot of very intense care.”

According to a recent release, everyone at VSEC was moved by the tragedy and wanted to do their best to make sure Shammy was healed and comfortable.

“I hope that it can help them deal with their grief,” said Deahl.

VSEC did not charge for the treatment of Shammy, because of the circumstances.

Tom McLaughlin said the family is grateful for the emergency surgery on Shammy. He’s going to be taking Shammy back to his home in Florida.

“She’s like my little sister and she’s going to keep my mom’s spirit alive. It’s just another memory that I’m going to have of my mom,” said Tom.

The McLaughlins were glad to hear VSEC is affiliated with a charity, the Lend-a-Paw Foundation, which provides free and low-cost care to lost pets and those whose owners are in financial difficulty.