A dog adoption that saved a life.
Here is Sally’s story. A very ill dachshund puppy whose desperate owner reached out for help…
A few weeks ago we received a message from a lady who was troubled about the severe health issues her 11-month-old dachshund puppy was facing.
She had taken little Sally, her dachshund puppy, to the vet with breathing difficulties and had stayed overnight at the vet because she was frightened for Sally’s life.
The next morning her concerns became even greater. Sally was immediately referred to an emergency specialist veterinary hospital as her condition was rapidly deteriorating.
By the time we were contacted, the poor owner was emotionally and physically drained. The major problem was that despite having insured Sally up to this point, she had just changed her insurance policy, and during a “cooling” off period, she discovered that the insurance would not support any treatment of Sally !!! Something many of us are unaware of !!!!
Sally, by this stage, was on life support and her owner had to make a tough decision.
Sally needed scans and maybe surgery and she could not fund the costs. She reached out to Dachshund Rescue, and a very tearful conversation ensued.
She desperately wanted to save Sally’s life and with great courage, she asked that if she surrendered Sally, could we help?
We all know about loving enough to let go and despite her complete love for Sally she was prepared to surrender her to save her life.
We immediately authorised the scans to see what Sally was suffering from. It was believed Sally may have had pneumonia or fluid in her lungs.
Imagine the shock when the scans revealed Sally’s lungs were not where they should be!!! They revealed that Sally’s lungs had passed through a hole into her stomach due to a congenital hernia.
The little dachshund’s life was hanging in the balance and emergency surgery was required. Her owner stayed with her awaiting the outcome.
Sally showed incredible strength and came through the operation but she remained on life-support. The next few hours were going to be critical.
Later that evening Sally was taken off the ventilator and amazingly began to breathe on her own. She was even able to have a few spoonfuls of food. Sally’s owner stayed by her side throughout the night, ensuring she got the love and care she needed and making her feel secure.
The next morning we got the call to say Sally was doing amazingly well and her owner was in tears thanking us for all the understanding and support she had received. She was sent home by the medical staff completely exhausted having not slept for 48 hours. What incredible love for her beautiful puppy.
Sally continues to recover and we will let you know of her progress. This is a story of great love and sacrifice. Dachshund Rescue is proud to have been able to help.
If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of needing to rehome your dog, for whatever reason, feel free to reach out to your local Dachshund Rescue coordinator. We have a UK-wide team. You’ll find their contact details here
We’re always on the lookout for good people. If you’d like to get involved in the work we do, check out the information on our volunteer roles here.
Being a UK charity, all of our work is funded by our fundraising efforts and the generosity of donors and supporters.
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