Nellie’s Surgery
Donation protected
Hi there! I’m reaching out to our community for help with Nellie. You have likely seen her and her babies on our Instagram. She’s always smiling and wagging her tail, happy as can be. Nellie was rescued from Navajo Nation and has had a hard life. Her demeanor has had an impact on me since the moment I met her. Watching Nellie be so genuine, happy, kind and trusting after experiencing such hardship, makes me a better person and often makes me cry.
Shortly after arriving to CO, we had Nellie’s eye checked out & they said it was either a birth defect or she was hit by a car. They also let us know that she was pregnant! This was unexpected but we came up with a plan and Nellie had 7 babies on 3/10. They’re just as perfect as she is. While Nellie was pregnant she was panting a lot and I equated this to the 7 little monster/angels she was lugging around. After their birth the panting continued & was now accompanied with a little snot. I made an appt for that day. X-rays showed that Nellie has pneumonia but also something much worse. The radiologist report says that Nellie has diaphragmatic hernia (tear in the muscle wall that separates the organs in her belly from the organs in her chest). This hernia is large enough to allow some of her abdominal organs to push into her chest causing her difficulty breathing. She may have been born with this or it may have happened after a traumatic event, like being hit by a car. Being hit by a car on the reservation is, sadly, not uncommon. Can you imagine giving birth and caring for 7 babies with pneumonia and a diaphragmatic hernia? Because I can’t and my admiration for her spirit has grown ten fold.
Nellie needs emergency surgery to repair this hernia. This surgery can take 15 minutes or 3 hours depending on how old the injury is. It is a complicated surgery but the surgeon is hopeful that she will make it through. Nellie also has two teeth she will need removed during surgery and potentially her eye.
Can you help us care for this girl, the way she has cared for countless puppies and humans, with complete dedication? Anything helps, even sharing!
Shortly after arriving to CO, we had Nellie’s eye checked out & they said it was either a birth defect or she was hit by a car. They also let us know that she was pregnant! This was unexpected but we came up with a plan and Nellie had 7 babies on 3/10. They’re just as perfect as she is. While Nellie was pregnant she was panting a lot and I equated this to the 7 little monster/angels she was lugging around. After their birth the panting continued & was now accompanied with a little snot. I made an appt for that day. X-rays showed that Nellie has pneumonia but also something much worse. The radiologist report says that Nellie has diaphragmatic hernia (tear in the muscle wall that separates the organs in her belly from the organs in her chest). This hernia is large enough to allow some of her abdominal organs to push into her chest causing her difficulty breathing. She may have been born with this or it may have happened after a traumatic event, like being hit by a car. Being hit by a car on the reservation is, sadly, not uncommon. Can you imagine giving birth and caring for 7 babies with pneumonia and a diaphragmatic hernia? Because I can’t and my admiration for her spirit has grown ten fold.
Nellie needs emergency surgery to repair this hernia. This surgery can take 15 minutes or 3 hours depending on how old the injury is. It is a complicated surgery but the surgeon is hopeful that she will make it through. Nellie also has two teeth she will need removed during surgery and potentially her eye.
Can you help us care for this girl, the way she has cared for countless puppies and humans, with complete dedication? Anything helps, even sharing!
Organizer
Casey Cleland
Organizer
Lyons, CO