Help Mackenzie Give Monty a Healthy and Happy Future

I am reaching out to you today with a heartfelt plea for help. My 25-year-old sister, Mackenzie, recently adopted a puppy named Monty from a rescue organization located in Hooksett, NH that we believed to be reputable. Monty was just about 4 months old at the time of adoption. Kenzie was ecstatic to bring Monty into her life, hoping to provide him with a loving forever home. Little did we know, this journey would turn into a challenging and emotional rollercoaster.

When Kenzie was first approved to adopt Monty, she was informed that he was in foster care due to a leg injury he supposedly sustained during a puppy playgroup. Given Kenzie's own history with knee injuries and surgeries (four separate surgeries since 2017, most recently in February) and her experience in veterinary medicine, she was diligent in communicating with the rescue about the severity of Monty's condition prior to meeting him. The rescue assured her that it was not significant and that Monty would soon be ready for adoption. The rescue promised to bring him to a licensed veterinarian and only adopt him out after a full examination and rechecking his injury. Kenzie knew that she was not in the financial, emotional, or lifestyle position to adopt a puppy with a significant injury requiring intensive care.

On April 24th, the rescue contacted Kenzie saying Monty was deemed completely healthy by a veterinarian, and she drove to Hooksett to meet Monty for the first time. She instantly fell in love. She paid the $650 adoption fee and brought him home, armed with a health certificate but limited medical records. Within 12 hours of adopting Monty, she brought him to her workplace—a veterinary clinic in Saco, ME. It became clear that something was terribly wrong. Monty was not walking correctly and appeared to be in pain. X-rays revealed a significant knee injury that required immediate specialist intervention.

One week later, Monty underwent a costly surgery to repair multiple ligaments and evaluate his torn meniscus. The veterinarians who performed the surgery, and have been in the field for more than 30 years, were shocked by the severity of his injury, stating they had never seen such an extensive knee injury, especially in a 4 month old puppy. They told Kenzie that this amount of damage had to have been done by a traumatic event, comparing it to being hit by a car, not a playgroup incident. Monty had to be heavily medicated and kept on strict crate rest for 8 weeks, unable to bear weight on his left hind leg.

Then, just days after getting clearance to start returning to normal activity, Monty’s x-rays revealed he needed to have a screw that was implanted in the first surgery removed ASAP as he was growing too quickly. Monty was then back on crate-rest, antibiotics, pain medications, and sedatives for two weeks.

10 days after that procedure, Monty became completely non-weight bearing on his leg. Kenzie took more x-rays and brought him to the specialist for a recheck. He developed a grade 3 out of 4 luxating patella , possibly due to the original trauma sustained or the surgery necessary to correct his injuries, and one of his ligaments was unable to heal properly

The plan was to wait until Monty’s growth plates closed, and then do another surgery to correct his knee. Mackenzie has been taking Monty to physical therapy for months in hopes of strengthening his leg and preventing further degeneration before this surgery could happen. She has also taken him to two other specialists for second and third opinions in the past weeks.

Unfortunately, Monty has been declining; he is barely able to use his leg at all. Recent x-rays showed severe remodeling of his knee joint, extensive swelling, and decreased bone density in his entire limb.

The only choice left, that will give Monty a semi-normal and pain free life, is complete amputation of the limb.

The amputation is scheduled for October 8th.

The financial burden has been overwhelming. Kenzie is on the verge of depleting her savings. Surgeries, follow-up visits, and medications are extremely expensive, despite receiving a small discount because she works at a vet. Kenzie has done everything she can to provide for Monty's recovery, including signing him up for puppy training to help with his anxiety and socialization as he was on crate rest during the crucial socialization period in a puppy’s life.

Kenzie was in constant contact with the rescue (via text, emails, and phone) before and after adoption. She alerted the rescue two days after bringing Monty home about his condition and the need for surgery. She asked for and received her $650 adoption fee back. Kenzie advised them of the surgery (before and after) and supplied invoices to date. The rescue then sent an additional $1,000 for the surgery (only covering a fraction of out-of-pocket expenses). As Monty's injury severity became more clear, Kenzie contacted them on May 15th for clarification on how the vet/rescue could adopt out a puppy without disclosing/providing his medical records. On May 30th, she called the vet that issued the Health Certificate to get his visit summaries. She was shocked to see only one visit noted on April 10th—three days after he came to NH and two full weeks prior to adoption. The summary stated X-rays were performed, ligament/meniscus damage suspected, strict crate rest, meds, and follow-up needed one week later. THE RESCUE NEVER BROUGHT MONTY BACK FOR A RECHECK.

The rescue withheld this information from Kenzie and did not notify her of the possible severity of the injury, even when she specifically asked. Monty’s visit summary was NOT included in the “complete medical history” she was given upon adoption by the rescue.

They aware of Monty’s major injury and still adopted him out without disclosing crucial information.

The rescue has refused to offer additional financial assistance (above the $1,000), stating on June 6th: “He's welcome to come back if you want us to pay for future medical expenses." This has left Kenzie to shoulder the cost alone. At this point his medical bills are over $5,000 and there’s even more to come.

How You Can Help:

We are seeking support to help defer Monty's extensive medical bills and ongoing therapy. Your contributions will go directly towards:

• Surgery Costs: The initial knee repair, follow-up procedures, and amputation surgery.

• Medications: Pain relief and other necessary medications for Monty's recovery.

• Therapy: Hydrotherapy and training to help Monty regain his strength and confidence.

• Ongoing Care: Veterinary visits and any additional treatments Monty may need.

Every little bit helps, and your support will make a world of difference for Kenzie and Monty. Let's give this sweet pup the chance to run and play like a healthy dog and help Kenzie provide the loving home she so desperately wants to give him.

If you can not or do not want to contribute financially, please share this post so other potential adopters are aware and do their research/ask the right questions before adopting an animal. We don’t want any human or dog going through what Monty and Mackenzie are experiencing right now.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness and generosity.