One of the most difficult things that many of us have to go through is losing a pet. At times, we may feel that the best thing we can do is to make the decision that none of us want to make, but it is one of the hardest things we will have to do, writes blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood
This happened recently when a dog owner had cared for his pup his entire life, but when “Doc” was no longer able to walk, he was taken to the shelter and put on the euthanasia list.
The shelter was planning on putting Doc down that same day, but he found love and hope in the eyes of a foster mom.
McKenzie has a lot of love for our furry friends and when she saw Doc and the suffering he was going through, she knew that she needed to step in to help. An emotional bond was formed with Doc immediately, but she turned that love into action in a way that helps all of us to have hope.
Admittedly, Doc was in sorry shape. He was struggling to walk or even to stand on his own feet, and his spine was visible down the entire length of his back. McKenzie and her fiancé took the dog to a veterinarian and that was when they were given the news that he had a condition known as degenerative myelopathy. That chronic disease affects the spinal cord and eventually, leads to paralysis in the hindquarters.
Unfortunately, the vet didn’t have much good to tell them and even he recommended euthanasia for Doc. Rather than giving up, McKenzie and her fiancé asked if they could give Doc another day and the vet agreed to it.
When McKenzie lifted Doc up with a brace they had constructed, they saw that his hind legs were still functioning. The shelter and the veterinarian both thought that he had lost all function in his hind end, but the fact that he was moving his legs let them know that not all hope was lost.
Doc was taken off of the euthanasia list right away and his foster parents continue to work to help him and see improvements. It took some time, but Doc was soon running and enjoying some time with the other dogs that stayed at McKenzie’s home.
Source: blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings