*Warning: This story contains disturbing information and reader discretion is advised*

One night, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a post from Fighting Chance Rescue looking for a foster with veterinary experience to help this sweet puppy who had a broken pelvis. Quoting the original post from the rescue, “I was contacted yesterday about this little dog that someone found “knocked out”. They moved her into someone’s yard, hoping it belonged to them, but it didn’t. So the little dog would’ve laid there and likely died within a day or two, if not sooner.” Long story short, it is believed that this poor 7 pound puppy was SA’d by a person and left to die.

Her pelvis is broken in 3 different places, and her back end is severely bruised. All of this left Pumpkin unable to walk or control her bladder/bowel movements. She easily could have died from the trauma but is instead showing her resilience and will to live every day.

Given that I have many years of vet tech experience, I knew I had to help this baby. I immediately reached out to Nicole to tell her I would love to foster Pumpkin. My husband & I are currently fostering her and she has already made great progress. We are happy to report that in just a few short days, she has already started eating and drinking again and her bowel movements have returned to normal. Pumpkin is on pain and anti-inflammatory medications to control her pain level. Despite being severely traumatized and in pain, she never barks or whines. Her tail wags at the very sight of us every day. She is currently restricted to 24-hour a day cage rest which will continue for the next few weeks with the hope that she will make a full recovery and walk again.

Who is ready for a little good news after reading all of that? After consulting with multiple vets and an orthopedic surgeon, they have determined it is NOT in Pumpkin’s best interest to undergo surgery. Instead, she will be entering a canine rehab center program that uses physical, water, & laser light therapy to expedite healing and improve recovery. We are asking for our community’s help with donations in order to get Pumpkin the care she deserves. No amount is too little; everything goes straight to Pumpkin’s medical bills! She is such a sweet dog, and we want to offer her the best quality of life possible.

UPDATE: There ended up being a slight change in plans. On Wednesday, September 17, Pumpkin had emergency surgery on her tail that involved a partial amputation due to a de-gloving injury. On Tuesday 9/16, I picked her up to move her out of her pen so I could clean it and I discovered an open, infected wound on her tail. Long story short, physical abuse undoubtedly caused this injury and it was a major factor in why Pumpkin was not wanting to eat, drink, or move. Rather that invest in acupuncture at this time, we had to move forward with this surgery. As of the evening of Wednesday, 9/17, it’s remarkable how different her demeanor already is. Her eyes offer a much calmer expression, the smell in her room has changed, and now she is truly on the road to recovery. The surgery was not cheap but it gives her the best chance at truly having a normal life again, even with a slightly shorter tail now. Your donations will go towards helping pay off this surgery for sweet Pumpkin!

Please help us give Pumpkin a chance at a normal life! We thank you so much in advance for taking the time to read this story and help her

Follow Pumpkin’s recovery at:

https://www.facebook.com/healingwithpumpkin8/