“We Just Want to See Her Happy” – Lily’s Happy Tail
October 8th, 2024
By Savannah Verdon, Development Manager
It takes a special person to adopt a special needs animal. Every day in the eight years since she had struggled with physical and health issues, and every day David did whatever he could to keep her comfortable and give her the happy life she deserved. For this family, there were more good days than bad.
Lily had trouble using her back legs, so her front legs and chest were very muscular from compensating for the back. Even though she couldn’t ascend stairs bigger than four inches or walk steep hills, her enthusiasm for short walks with her canine big sister Rosie was unparalleled. David wondered if something was wrong when Lily became unenergetic on the walks she loved so much. He knew for sure when she lost her appetite.
David scheduled the soonest appointment available with their veterinarian so they could diagnose what was wrong with sweet Lily. After several tests and X-rays, they received the bad news: Lily had an infection in her uterus known as a pyometra. Because of her special needs, Lily was always under close watch and never around male dogs, so they never saw the need to spay her. But the infection could be fatal if she didn’t undergo surgery to remove it as soon as possible.
There was never a good time for bad news like that, but still, it couldn’t have come at a worse time for David and his family. They had just been given a 60-day notice to move out of the home they had rented for 13 years, where Lily and Rosie had grown up with David’s children. They needed to save money for the first and last month’s rent at the new house, plus David was planning to get a car for his son before he started college. All the while still needing to pay rent. The quote he received for Lily’s emergency surgery was an entire week’s pay – with overtime – and the diagnostics had not been cheap. But worst of all they had said goodbye to their dog Jenny just a few months before, and they could not take another loss.
They applied for assistance from their local humane society, and not only did they receive some help to pay for the surgery, but the staff told them about the RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant program too. David committed eight years ago to give Lily the happy life she deserved, no matter how much love, time, attention, and, sometimes, help it would take. He shared in his Urgent Care grant application that “She is the sweetest dog in the world and anyone who has met her knows how awesome she is. We love her so much, she is family to us. We just want to see her happy and full of energy on her walks.”
That’s what our FurEver Friend want for families like David and Lily too.
They may never get a chance to meet Lily and know how awesome she is, but so many people chipped in to help David save this sweet girl. With an Urgent Care grant made possible by our Friends and a contribution from the local humane society, David had enough to supplement what he could afford to pay for the emergency surgery. Like the trouper she’d always been, Lily got through the surgery successfully and enjoyed a very comfy recovery on the couch with Rosie. The bad days were behind her, and great, short walks lay ahead.
Your continued support ensures they and hundreds more families can enjoy each other’s love and company for many years to come. We’re grateful to call you a FurEver Friend to the animals!
