Nemo was limping when she arrived at a partner shelter. The three-month old puppy was born with a short and twisted front leg. She didn’t know she couldn’t use it and would try to walk on it, leaving her with a pressure sore.

 

 

Our Rescue team picked Nemo up as part of our Sue and John Diekman Regional Rescue Program. After examining the sweet pup, our vets decided that amputating her abnormal leg was the best choice to give her a more comfortable life.

 

 

Before we could perform surgery on her, we noticed her rear legs were stiff and swollen. She yelped in pain when she tried to move. X-rays and tests revealed Nemo had a spinal infection. Despite the pain she was in, she was eager to make friends and wagged her tail at everyone who helped her.

 

Surgery was delayed. It would have been too dangerous to operate on Nemo while she was so sick. She went to a foster home to finish up her antibiotics and was a textbook example of puppy love.

“She may be my favorite puppy ever,” says Keyona, Nemo’s foster mom. “She was glued to my hip, followed me around everywhere. She also did great with the other dogs. She was all about giving as many kisses as they would allow!”

 

 

In her foster home, Nemo kept up her cheerful attitude. She played with her foster siblings and happily learned tricks. The spunky puppy made friends with everyone, and was even caught licking the family cat!

 

 

Her foster family brought her in for regular checkups, and after a few weeks, our Medical team decided Nemo was healthy enough for surgery. Our vets amputated her impaired leg and she returned to her foster home to recover. Nemo healed quickly and was on her feet within days.

 

 

Our team determined her infection could take up to a year to treat. Instead of keeping Nemo in foster for that long, our staff decided to see if someone could adopt her and continue her treatment.

 

 

It took no time at all for Nemo to find a family that was able to take on her ongoing care. We’re so thankful to our donors and volunteers who help us save the lives of animals with complex medical needs!