A rescue partner posted an “after” picture of one of our most expensive rescues. Vero showed the weeks old puppy, Sienna, lying on the front seat of her car, crying in pain, actively dying. She then posted the picture of the very same dog, 8 months later, frolicking in the snow in her very own backyard, with her very own boy.
Vero thanked us, XPP for the save. She told everyone the we, XPP, leaves no dog behind and we always find a way to save them, no matter the cost or the obstacles.
While we here at XPP are grateful for the endorsement, it created an invite for another foster to respond on the thread and tell her very different story.
Here is the story of Lucky, a little lab mix:
Leslie fostered a mother, father and their 8 puppies. Upon taking the puppies to the vet, it was discovered that one of them had what they thought was a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Lucky was not so lucky after all, drawing a crappy genetic abnormality. Lucky’s mom and dad, Romeo and Juliette were also not so fortunate, testing positive for heart worms. The rescue told Leslie that they would no longer take the parents and asked that she put Lucky down
On some level, I get why a rescue wouldn’t want to take on 2 HW positive dogs and a puppy with an expensive surgery, but, and this is a big one in our world, you agreed to take them on. You didn’t make it a conditional contract and even if you did, what’s Leslie supposed to do with the parents and a sick puppy? Here’s another problem I have with this rescue, they’re cherry picking dogs, leaving the ones who need help the most behind. That’s never Ok in my world.
I would never ask someone to take on such an enormous financial burden, never mind the emotional toll it would take on her. In the middle of the night, it hit me that all the puppies got their vaccines, but not Lucky. At that point, there wasn’t even a meaningful discussion on any options for her. The rescue heard that she had the hernia and decided right then and there that her life wasn’t even worth fighting for. Lucky didn’t even warrant protective vaccinations. Leslie took the family home and was gut punched.
Look, the last thing Michelle and I need is another medical…let alone three. But we saw Lucky’s little face. She was resting her head on a bar in her kennel, trying to make breathing a bit easier. She looks like a blonde lab, with those eyes that melt your heart. We decided right then and there that we would give her every chance at a good life.
Within hours, we contacted one of our most incredible rescue partners and she immediately agreed to take on Lucky and her parents. This gives “No dog left behind” a whole other meaning.
Within one day, Leslie’s good friend Minerva volunteered to fly from DC, pick up Lucky in McAllen, Texas, connect in Dallas and on to Richmond, where Maddie will take her. By the next day, Lucky and Minerva were on their way to Maddie.
Take a look at the pictures of that trusting face. SHe’s snuggled into her pet carrier, watching the world from behind the mesh. She’s sitting in her carrier on Minerva’s lap, waiting to disembark. She’s riding the escalator like she’s been there, done that. Her surgery is already scheduled for tomorrow.
We’re aware of the surgical odds. They’re not in Lucky’s favor, but how do we not try? We may lose her on the table, or after that, but we’re sure to lose her anyway if we do nothing. That is not an option. This little girl has flown on two planes across the country. She has an entire village of people who so desperately want her to live and are doing everything we can to make her live. Leaving her behind, or leaving the problem to someone else is not how we approach rescue.
It’s not that XPP is better than other rescues, we just have a different philosophy/approach. I started this rescue to save the dogs that no one else wanted to save, like Lucky and her parents. When you commit to a litter of 8 puppies, you commit to all of them, not just the easy ones, because you know what? That 8th one, the sick one, still wants to be saved. Ask her. Ask Lucky what her choice is. I bet she tells us that she wants to live.
So we’ll find a way. If there’s any chance that Lucky can live, we’ll find it.
