Myrtle first came to us as a tiny, wiggling 2-week-old puppy. She was transferred in from one of our Central Valley partner shelters with her mom and siblings, and was quickly sent to an experienced foster home with her little family.

Her foster family soon noticed she seemed much smaller than her siblings. They were all so young that they all moved a little awkwardly, but Myrtle’s movement seemed even more awkward than the others.

Myrtle pictured at the bottom

At Myrtle’s first medical check-up a few weeks later, our Medical team took a closer look at her legs. Her two front legs were clearly deformed and were curled and twisted in unnatural positions. She was also half the size of her littermates and hadn’t been very interested in eating. Despite these abnormalities, Myrtle didn’t appear affected. She was energetic and active and tried to keep up with her littermates as best as she could.

Over the next few months, Megan worked on Myrtle’s mobility. She played with her and encouraged her to use her other limbs to make up for the deficiencies in her front ones, and used physical therapy exercises to improve her balance and coordination. She was getting stronger, but sweet Myrtle still had a long road ahead of her.

Despite Myrtle’s differences, she was a happy, energetic puppy. “She automatically assumed that everyone she met was obviously going to be her best friend,” says Megan. “She never met a person whom she didn’t love and she was just always so very happy and determined. A lot of her early physical therapy was accomplished by her chasing after my own dog.” 

Megan brought Myrtle to work everyday, where she continued to try to make friends with everyone she met. Megan would use her work breaks to take Myrtle to meet other staff and volunteers around the building, where she would happily lick their faces. “She always wanted to be friends,” says Megan. “She met every new situation with that same optimism.”

Finally, after nearly 5 months in our care, our Medical team was confident in Myrtle’s progress. She was finally big enough to be spayed, and had gained enough strength and coordination that they determined she wouldn’t need any of her limbs amputated.

Myrtle was adopted by a loving family that understands she will be different from other dogs. She’ll likely become tired more quickly and need to be carried sometimes, but with her friendly spirit and determination, we know she has a bright future ahead of her.

Support from our community is what makes stories like Myrtle possible. Thank you to everyone who helps us create a brighter future for animals – by volunteering, fostering, adopting, donating, or just spreading the word, you are making an incredible difference in the lives of animals. To help us continue to save and support animals like Myrtle, make a gift today. And if you haven’t already, sign up for our eNewsletter to get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox!