Gordo, the dog hit by van during wild police chase, may lose a leg

Gordo, the little white dog who was run over on live TV during a wild police pursuit Wednesday night in South Los Angeles, may lose one of his legs.

The poodle mix was struck by a white box van at about 9 p.m. during a chase that lasted over an hour and wound through side streets. The van lost its front tires at one point and threw off a shower of sparks, lighting up the night. It was during the chase that Gordo, who was loose, wandered into the street.

TV news cameras captured the moment the dog was hit. He hobbled to his nearby home, injured and bloody, his owner said. Gordo was then rushed to a veterinary hospital, where a surgeon was expected to evaluate his injuries Thursday morning

Though initially listed in critical condition, Gordo was expected to survive, hospital officials said. But the dog may lose a leg, KTLA reports.

Gordo suffered a deep cut to his muscle, as well as fractures to his hip and femur, veterinarian Erich Stumpp told the news outlet.

Meanwhile, there's been a huge outpouring of support from well-wishers concerned about Gordo's recovery, his veterinarians say.

“I don’t think there’s really  been anything like it,” said Shea Heagle, a client care coordinator at City of Angels Animal Hospital in Culver City where the dog is being treated. “It’s been awesome.”

“Everyone’s been very, very nice when they’ve called,” Heagle said. “They want to know if he’s going to be OK.”

As of Thursday morning, more than $3,500 had been sent in to the hospital via PayPal for Gordo’s care, Heagle said.

“We’ve been receiving a lot and we’re still getting more,” she said.

As for the occupants of the van, they were eventually arrested. Yovany Rodriguez, 21, of Los Angeles, and Gwendi Valenton, 26, of Bakersfield were booked on suspicion of vehicle theft.