Help Gunther Play, Free of Pain

When my foster pup, Gunther, was officially adopted a few weeks ago, I thought that was officially his "happily ever after." He found the BEST family. They are kind, patient, and dedicated to their animals. The joy was almost tangible. We all smiled and laughed together watching what was once a terrified, emaciated puppy clumsily romp around the backyard with their dog, Stella. It was truly a beautiful scene to be a part of. Stella, being a rescue herself, had also overcome so much. Watching these two just play their hearts out was one of those moments in rescue that remind me why I do what I do. It was the perfect, sail off into the sunset moment for Gunther and the entire Pigoni family. Or at least that's what we all thought in the moment.

When Gunther was first brought in as a stray, he was shy, scared and about 20 lbs underweight. As he gained weight, I started to notice a slight limp after longer walks. I brought him to the vet and he was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia. The vet advised continued monitoring as he still had some growing to do and more weight to gain before we would know how his condition would affect him long term.

Since his adoption, Gunther's family started to notice signs of pain. What started as a slight limp has continued to worsen. He now struggles to get up stairs or onto the bed. As he reached a healthy weight, his new happy and active lifestyle was proving to be too much for his body to handle. All he wants to do is play but unfortunately, his front legs can't keep up and his condition will likely worsen as he continues to grow. After further evaluation by a veterinarian, there was only one solution unfortunately. This sweet puppy that has already overcome SO much has one more obstacle to overcome. Gunther needs surgery.

Gunther suffers from Ununited Aconeal Process (UAP) in both of his front legs. UAP is a manifestation of elbow dysplasia. The necessary surgery to fix his condition will cost about $8k. To the Pigoni family, forever means forever. While this surgery and its associated costs come as a surprise, there was never any question that they would do whatever necessary to give him the life he deserves.

When the Pigoni family looped me in on what was going on, I wanted to do whatever I could to help. After so much change in my life over the past few months, being a part of Gunther's journey was such a source of joy for both myself and my own rescue dog, Winnie. After beating the odds and surviving the cold Chicago winter on the streets as a lone puppy, this goofy little puppy was the perfect lesson in resilience and finding joy in every single day.

Gunther more than deserves his happily ever after. And the Pigoni family deserves to focus on helping him through his recovery without significant financial burden. The surgery will cost about $8k but luckily, MCP (Gunther and his sister Stella's rescue) has already offered to cover $1k. I am aiming to raise $7k to cover the remaining expenses.

Friends, please share Gunther's story far and wide to help me reach this goal. Donate if you are able, but please help me spread the word. I have seen our community do amazing things for animals in need and I know we can do it again.

Gunther deserves his amazing family and they deserve him right back. He is the sweetest, goofiest, happiest soul and he deserves a life full of the simple joys of being a well loved dog. Gunther deserves to play, pain free.