Veterinarians Team Up To Perform Life-Saving Surgery for German Shepherd in Hampton Bays

For months, Duane Moore had watched his 5-year-old German shepherd, Bear, suffer. A fungal infection in his sinuses was stubbornly refusing to let go, and the condition worsened, causing Bear to bleed from his nostrils.

Moore, a Shinnecock Hills resident who owns seven German shepherds, was worried: “I thought he was going to die.”

Thanks to the teamwork and generosity of two veterinarians, Bear is on the mend and almost fully back to his usual energetic and gregarious self.

Earlier this month, local veterinarian Dr. Will Spanbock, who owns Good Ground Animal Hospital in Hampton Bays, and Dr. Tomas Infernuso, who owns the Animal Surgical Center in Oceanside, performed a complicated and aggressive surgery on Bear, drilling two holes in the top of his skull and into the frontal sinuses to clear out infection.

It’s a surgery that typically costs thousands of dollars — but Infernuso offered to do it for free, and drove out to Hampton Bays to perform the surgery alongside Spanbock at Good Ground Animal Hospital, using it as an opportunity to provide hands-on continuing education of a complicated procedure for another fellow veterinarian. It was a win for everyone involved.

After treating Bear’s condition with medication for an extended period of time, Spanbock said he realized the dog needed a different approach, so he referred Moore to Infernuso.

A native of Italy, Infernuso is a skilled surgeon and has also made a name for himself with charitable endeavors linked to his veterinary practice. For many years, he was a traveling veterinarian, before opening Animal Surgical Center a decade ago. He still travels to Florida on a regular basis to perform free surgeries for Big Dog Ranch, one of the largest rescue organizations in the country.

Doing the surgery for free at Spanbock’s practice was Infernuso’s idea, and Spanbock commended him for everything he did.

“Bear needed a more aggressive surgery, and it was something, as a general practitioner, I wasn’t super comfortable with, and didn’t have the tools for,” Spanbock said.

He had met Infernuso years ago, before he had his Nassau County practice and was still working exclusively as a traveling vet. They came into the practice on Tuesday, a day off, and another Good Ground vet tech was on hand as well, and performed the surgery. “We came together and made it happen for Bear,” Spanbock said.

Infernuso explained why he was so willing to do the surgery for free, and make the trip out to Hampton Bays to do it. “My passion is to teach other vets how to do surgeries, with the intention of them learning so they can treat more animals,” he said. “Some people can’t afford that kind of specialty care.”

Spanbock offered to pay Infernuso for the experience, but he refused. “Giving back is always beautiful,” he said. “It makes you feel like you’re doing something without expecting anything in return. It makes me feel good.

“The goal is just to inspire people to give,” he added. “You don’t have to just do things for money. In the vet business, you have to make money, I understand that, but there are times you have to give, too.”

Moore was beyond thrilled at how it all came together to save the life of a dog he loves. And it was a life-saving surgery. Infernuso explained that, if left untreated, the infection would have spread with devastating consequences for Bear. “These infections are so aggressive,” he said. “This dog would’ve been dead in six months. The infection perforates the wall that separates the nasal cavity from the brain. He would have died from seizures.”

Instead, Bear has a new lease on life. The twin scars, still healing, on the top of his head from the surgery are still visible, and the hair on his lower front leg where he was shaved for an IV still hasn’t fully grown back, but those are the only signs that Bear is anything but a happy and healthy young dog. He has the beauty, size and intimidating presence his breed is known for, but he is happy, friendly and energetic, pressing his body up against anyone he meets, tongue and tail wagging, reveling in pets, scratches and attention.

“He’s made a remarkable recovery in just one week,” Moore said, expressing his gratitude for Infernuso, and his awe for what he did. “He’s just responded so well.”