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Lisa Shriver, DVM, (pictured left) and her fellow Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association-Rural Area Veterinary Services program (HSVMA-RAVS) volunteers shaved Mini, gave her pain medication and flushed the wounds at San Carlos Apache Reservation in San Carlos, Ariz.

All photos courtesy of Lisa Shriver, DVM

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The German shepherd's chain-link collar had become embedded in her neck. “It looked liked she had chain-link piercings,” says Shriver, a nonprofit veterinarian based in Columbus, Ohio. Mini's owners were horrified—they had no idea because of the amount of hair on the dog.

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Volunteers cut each chain link out of Mini's neck with bolt cutters."The dog was amazingly good," Shriver says. "She was very still for us—though we did have two restrainers to comfort her."

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They were able to remove the collar without any trauma to the patient.

“Not only did Mini receive preventative care—vaccinations, deworming, physical exam and flea prevention—but we were able to assist with this injury and educate the owners,” Shriver says. “Without RAVS, who knows how long it would have been until the collar was discovered?”

Click here to learn more about Rural Area Veterinary Services.