A Veterinary Technician at HSSV comforts Smokey as he recovers from surgery.
Keep reading to find out how Humane Society Silicon Valley partnered with the City of San Jose Animal Care & Services and San Diego Humane Society to give Smokey a second chance.
10-year-old Smokey was found as a stray wandering the streets in September of 2023 and brought to City of San Jose Animal Care & Services (SJACS) for help.
Smokey when he first arrived at HSSV for his surgery.
Right away, their medical team recognized he was in tremendous pain from chronic ear infections that had gone untreated for so long that he was rendered mostly deaf. SJACS placed Smokey into a loving foster home so he could rest comfortably while they assessed what would need to happen for Smokey to live a pain-free life.
Surgery to relieve Smokey’s pain would cost more than most would be able to afford.
Smokey needed a special procedure called a TECA-BO (Total Ear Canal Ablation and Bulla Osteotomy) on both of his ears to remove his ear canals and middle ear, leaving only the ear flap. This would relieve his pain and prevent future ear infections, but there was a big problem – at an estimated cost of $8,000-$10,000 per ear, it was beyond the shelter’s budgetary constraints. Recognizing the urgency of his condition, SJACS reached out to Humane Society Silicon Valley who, in turn, reached out to Dr. Leilani Im from San Diego Humane Society for consultation.
“When we learned about Smokey’s situation, we wanted to help, but we also needed help to do so,” said Dr. Cristie Kamiya, Chief of Shelter Medicine at HSSV. “Collaborating with San Diego Humane Society was essential in providing Smokey with the care he needed.”
Dr. Im agreed to perform the surgery and teach the technique to HSSV staff and veterinarians – so they would be able to offer this life-saving procedure to other animals in need.
Smokey is prepped for his TECA-BO surgery at HSSV’s Medical Facility
While the surgery doesn’t cure his deafness, it will relieve him of the constant pain and need for medication he has been living with. “Smokey’s surgery embodies our strategic priorities,” said Dr. Kamiya. “His quality of life is dramatically improved, and our staff received invaluable training that will enhance our life-saving efforts.”
San Diego Humane Society’s Dr. Im performs Smokey’s TECA-BO surgery while HSSV Veterinary Staff observe and assist.
Of course, Smokey wouldn’t be where he is today without his foster mom, who steadfastly saw to his medication, vet appointments and recovery for months. We’re so happy to report that after his surgery, Smokey’s loving foster mom made it official and adopted him recently. “Thank you all so much for making Smokey’s life better!” she told us. Today, Smokey is celebrating his adoption the proper way – at home, snoozing on the couch, with his sibling.
Smokey snoozes at home with his new sibling.
HSSV’s veterinary team is already saving the lives of dogs with Smokey’s condition, using the technique taught to them by Dr. Im. Meet Big Mac:
Shelter dog Big Mac was the next patient to receive the TECA-BO procedure, performed entirely by HSSV veterinary staff.
It is wonderful that our community was able to help Smokey, but even more exciting that HSSV’s veterinary team will now be able to help animals who come in with the same issue.
Big Mac arrived at HSSV as a stray overweight, with a host of other medical issues. Among them, he was suffering from the same chronic ear infections as Smokey. Thanks to the training they received during Smokey’s procedure, the HSSV veterinary team was able to perform the TECA-BO on Big Mac just a few weeks ago and he is currently recovering in a foster home.
It truly takes a village to save animals, and ours is MIGHTY.
We’re so grateful we’ve been able to help Smokey and Big Mac, and dogs like them who suffer from this painful, difficult to treat condition! Thank you to the City of San Jose Animals Care & Services, San Diego Humane Society, and you, our supporters, for making their recovery (and the recovery of future animals) possible.
22 Comments on “It Took a Village to Heal Smokey”
Thank you to everyone involved in helping these beautiful animals! Dr Im is extraordinary! You came and helped out all the way from San Diego, and you also taught other veterinarians a great skill! AMAZING! Keep the chain of help going!
Hooray for Smokey!
Hooray for Big Mac!
Hooray For SVACA!
Amazing, and may God bless them and his new family. We love you Smokey.
Edit:
Thank you to everyone involved in helping these beautiful animals! Dr Im is extraordinary! You came and helped out all the way from San Diego, and you also taught other veterinarians a great skill! AMAZING! Keep the chain of help going!
Hooray for Smokey!
Hooray for Big Mac!
Hooray For HSSV!!
An uplifting story! Thanks to HSSV for all that they do for the animals in their care.
IT’s GREAT WHAT YA’ll are DOING I WOULD DO THE WORK FULL TIME IF I COULD.KEEP ME UP ON THE THINGS NEW AND EXCITING THAT U ARE DOING. I’M A CRITICAL CARE RN BUT I WOULD LOVE TO WORK FOR A VETERINARIAN.
STEPHANIE DREWRY
Thank you for all that you do for this beautiful animal. 😍
Let us remember to thank the San Jose Animal Care staff. They reached out. They identified a good dog who needed more than they could offer. They remained mission focused. Many a limited resource shelter would have euthanized. Go San Jose … keep up the excellent work!!
A million thanks to Dr. Leilani Im, the veterinarian who performed Smokey’s TECA-BO on Smokey and taught other veterinarians to do the procedure so that they could help other animals like Big Mac, The City of San Jose Animal Care, The San Diego Humane Society and their supporters and fosters and to Smokey’s foster who fostered, then adopted Smokey! ❤️
You have simply said, “Wonderful things “. Smokey is fortunate to have crossed paths with you!
You have simply said, “Wonderful things “. Smokey is fortunate to have crossed paths with you!
You have simply said, “Wonderful things “. Smokey is fortunate to have crossed paths with you! My irst commry
I rescued a dog last year from Craigslist near San Diego. She came to us with chronic ear infections in both ears. Initially we thought she was deaf. My husband and I have been working diligently with our vet to help her get better. Right now, we have to wash her ears a couple of times a week with a specific solution from our vet. Hopefully, this is behind her— Maggie Mae. She is a wonderful dog and she will be with us now. How these dogs survive, I will never know. I would like to thank all the people involved in Smokey’s care and the wonderful person who rescued and fell in love with him.
There’s a place in heaven for these people who help animals who no voice.
They are so special they ask for nothing they give all their love.
These people give their heart and soul to these precious animals so they can enjoy their lives Thank you so muck we all appreciate your caring and kindness so much.
All of you are angels.
Thank you do very, very much.
Love Marcia
Praise the Lord some people have the compassion to help save and redeem the lives of fur babies 💖🙏
Thank you for helping Smokey and others like Smokey and other treatments needed for other fur babies,GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Thank all of you so much for the incredible work that you do that goes into saving these wonderful creatures that have no voice. You/we are their voice, and they know when help is there for them. There is a special place in heaven for all who do and benefit from this amazing work. Thank you again.
I am so grateful for these vets . I give every month to support animal organizations . I am 85 and love on social security. I have experienced local vets in the Atlanta area that treat their practice like a business and don’t help poor people who can’t pay for care for their pets and send them away. There is an emergency vet practice that refused to help a family and put the dog to sleep and I watched as they left the clinic with the little girl crying carrying the dog wrapped in a blanket. I have been there on several occasions and they asked for the money up front even if your dog needs immediate attention. They are the only emergency vet in the area and they are apart of a group of vets that have other emergency clinics around Atlanta and they have emergency clinics in other states.They are not vets they are vultures. Whatever happened to vets that loved to help save animals for a lot of them forget why they went to school.
May every person who worked to spare Smokey pain be blessed always and forever.
God bless you doctor, this world has mentally ill people who harm animals but then there’s people like you who bring comfort and peace to these suffering dogs., I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I have loved reading these comments and feel sorry for every vet who doesn’t realize it could be his blessing to be able to save these precious animals and to step in to provide for healing these beloved creatures when possible. In this way it brings all of us to bear on these urgent cases and become part of the village of love to heal. It is heartwarming to read these comments. Thank and bless all of this sharing
<3
A MIRACLE!! Thank you so much 🙏 What would we do with our our fur babies!!Teresa