On 05/20/2020 Bailey Girl was one of 7 surviving puppies from a very difficult labor and delivery.

At 14 ounces, she was noticeably smaller than the rest but her feisty and determined nature made keeping up with her siblings look easy.

Her body was tiny and her little legs were too small for her tiny body. She hopped while playing instead of running and was easily knocked off balance but continued on as if this wasn’t a big deal.

When it was time to nurse she was usually the first one to the dinner table but would quickly…and frequently get crowd surfed to the back as the others pushed under her. This didn’t stop Bailey. She would climb the pile until she was up against her mother and power drive her little head down through her siblings until she found milk. At which point, she held on for dear life, often whining with the effort.

It didn’t take long for her cute little face and big personality to win the hearts of everyone who met her. Her snuggle skills have already been perfected and cause grown men to make cooing noises. She loves to sleep around feet and in the crook of our necks. Saying we melt when she does this is a huge understatement.

The day before her 6 week birthday, it was time for the whole group to get their first set of shots and a vet check. We knew something was up with Bailey but I was expecting her issues to be related to her skeleton and possibly  her vision. Since we were keeping her, both issues could be dealt with as time went on.

It turns out that time is our biggest enemy and a luxury we may not have.

Bailey Girl has a significant heart murmur that has stunted her development. The vet told me these often lead to Congestive Heart Failure and a short life expectancy without surgery.

We are having trouble accepting a short life expectancy for Bailey.
She is so determined to do the best she can with what she has and eager to express as much love as possible. We can’t sit back and let nature take its course.
Not with Lil Bailey Girl.

Between the cardiologist, expensive testing and the surgery, we are expecting it to go as high as $7000. Our family used credit to pay the $4100 bill for the birth of this litter and does not have the resources to do that again. 

The one insurance company that does take pre existing conditions has a $750 cap for congenital murmurs. 

I’m hoping there are enough German Shepherd lovers out there to help us save Bailey.  She is just so very special.

If you would like to see more of her, she has a Facebook page. It’s Itsy Bitsy German Shepherd@lilbaileygirl