Newt was 8 weeks old, the runt of the litter when we realized there was something wrong.

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As he got older, it was obvious something wasn’t right in his tiny body. He would try and eat, only to have it come back up a few minutes later. Even water made little Newt vomit. It was clear he was losing weight and getting little to no nutrients.

Newt was taken to the Andys Animal Hospital for testing. After a day and a half, and lots of testing and scans we were heartbroken to find out that little Newt had a deformity causing his aorta to have grown around his esophagus - essentially he was starving to death, the esophagus opening was too small to pass food and even liquid through.

The options were few - send him away to Boise to a more qualified vet for a very expensive elective surgery which may work - or put him down. It seemed like putting him down was unfortunately the more economical option considering surgery was estimated to cost in the range of $4500. 

The next day it was decided that he would be put down, but that morning Newt ran out to greet the staff at Andy’s with the sweetest look on his face and everyone decided in that moment - Newt deserved every chance he could get. He was sent off for surgery, with no one who was able to pay the bill. 

Some people think it’s crazy to spend thousands of dollars on surgery for an 8 week old puppy, but some crazy things are worth doing. This is one of those things. Sometimes the underdog just needs a helping hand.

As of one hour ago (10/5/21 6:00 pm) we received news that Newt has successfully made it though his surgery in Boise with a whole “fan club” of support there dubbing him “Newt the Teddy Bear”. Huge thanks to Dr. MURPHY and his team at West Vet. 

He is currently in the ICU recovering and though he is ok now, we know there is still a period of challenges ahead and the possibility for things to change. If he continues to heal as we hope, he will be headed back to salmon on his own private jet (kidding..) but he will be making the trip back to Salmon by the end of the week for continual monitoring and healing.

If you have had an animal that deserved a chance you’ll know what it’s like to do everything you can to make it happen!

We are now asking for your help - if you feel so inclined, please consider donating to help with Newt’s vet bills. We are cheering for little Newt and know he is a fighter!

As we receive updates we will keep you informed on this page