Ariel

On November 28th, we received a desperate call to help a young puppy who had been struck down by a car. Her delicate bones snapped sickeningly as the heavy vehicle collided with her body. The driver quickly sped off without stopping to see if poor Ariel was even still alive. This poor puppy was left in the street, paralyzed with shock. Shards of shattered bone had ripped through the muscle and skin of Ariel's hind leg, leaving her completely exposed. As Ariel's blood began to run through the street, this poor little dog let out the most gut-wrenching wail, letting everyone within earshot know the extent of the pain she was in.

We immediately rushed to the scene, knowing time was of the essence if we had any hope of saving Ariel's life. We transported this sweet girl to our trusted vet, where X-rays revealed a second fracture in her visibly injured leg. To make matters even worse, Ariel tested positive for Distemper, a highly contagious viral disease that affects multiple body systems. The symptoms can be debilitating and are oftentimes fatal if untreated. There is no cure for this unrelenting virus, but chances of survival improve significantly with supportive care. We knew we only had a limited window to correct the fractures before the Distemper worsened.

Ariel was rushed into surgery, and fortunately, the exposed bone was still viable. The surgeon was able to correct both of Ariel's fractures, and metal plates were placed in her leg along with an external fixator to stabilize the bones. Because Ariel is so young, her body was a great candidate for complete healing. 

However, Ariel wasn?t out of the woods just yet.  Because of Distemper, there was still a chance that her body would reject the repaired bone. We held our breaths as we closely monitored her during the first few days of recovery. 

Then, in early December, Ariel?s condition took a turn for the worse. The distemper aggravated the surgical site, causing increased secretions and worsening lesions. After repeated exams, we had to make the tough call to amputate her leg.

Fortunately, after surgery, Ariel showed MAJOR resilience and strength. She was up and about almost immediately. Since her infection was still high, we kept this sweet one on medication and did a full examination of her every 48 hours to monitor the healing progress closely. 

By the end of December, Ariel had adapted smoothly to walking on three legs. But there was still no discharge date in view?this poor girl was still tackling a persistent cough and other Distemper symptoms. And yet her bright, curious nature still managed to shine through with the help of donations, supplies, and continued support that was still pouring in from all around the word. 

Then, earlier this January, Ariel triumphed over Distemper, marking a joyous milestone in her journey. The tests showed that she was distemper-free, and with contagious enthusiasm, she was getting ready to bid farewell to quarantine in a matter of 10 days! This meant that we could get her vaccinated, too?hooray! One step closer to this girl?s final stop: a forever family. 

Finally, after a long and treacherous journey, Ariel was made available for adoption and quickly captured the hearts of a loving couple with whom she now lives. And let us say Ariel is living her BEST life with her new mom and dad!

A heartfelt thank you to every one of you who played a crucial role in ensuring Ariel received the necessary treatments and surgery to save her life. Your support and love made this incredible transformation possible, and now we get to revel in the fact that this sweet girl has her happily ever after!