KNOXVILLE, Tenn (WVLT) -- Vets at UT Vet School are teaching a seven month old lab to walk again on all fours.

Dr. Marti Drum says, "His back legs are kind of not communicating with the front and two things going on, so we have to re-sync things up."

Riley was hit by a car in the Tri-Cities area two weeks ago.

"He had a major wound on his head, from being hit by a car. He had his back fracture repaired with steel pins pressing on spinal cord why he couldn't walk."

Riley also had a broken leg and gun shots in his head. Vets say as they were cleaning out the wound on his head they discovered bullets in his sinuses underneath the bone of his skull, so they cleaned all of that out.

He is already making progress.
Dr. Drum says, "He can move his legs, appetite is great, things are really turning around for him. Slowly but surely he should recover all of his functions."

Riley still has weeks ahead of him of physical therapy at UT Vet Hospital, and even then he is not out of the woods yet because of risk for infection."

So, he's being watched closely, with a lot of TLC and PT.

Dr. Drum says, "We've made him bigger better and stronger I guess, rebuilt what was broken, we're working on the stronger part now with the rehab."

Riley's owner has not forward. His vet bills are in the thousands. For more information, and how you can help Riley, call Teresa at Labs4Rescue 1-423-341-3991.