EMERGENCY SURGERY IS NEEDED TO HELP A MALTESE WALK AGAIN (December 22, 2005): Every day is a "rescue day" around here & every day we have plenty to do, but things were a bit more hectic for Regina, our Atlanta foster mom.

Regina got a call yesterday about a little 4 year old male Maltese in a GA shelter. It appears the dog was turned in by the owner because it had injured its' back and the owner could not or would not pay for medical care & had instead chosen to have strangers at the animal shelter euthanize the dog. (the cheaper/less emotional option).

The shelter contacted SCMR via Regina, and we made arrangements to get the dog & have it assessed. We were told the dog cannot walk & is in intense pain but has good odds in his favor (80%- 85%) of having his back repaired to the point he can walk again, If he has surgery ASAP. The surgery was quoted to us as anywhere from $2500- $4000 The $2500 cost is more than we have in the bank, but we (Regina, bless her heart!) took the dog last night to the University of GA in Athens who will perform the surgery at around $2500 to give him a chance to live and regain the use of his legs.

We have to believe in miracles, and we do all we can to give these dogs the chance their 'family' denied them. It was late and after a full days work Regina still drove this dog to a specialist 2 1/2 hours away. We are all hoping and praying the specialist can 'fix' this little guy. All the while, we know we have to raise the money to pay this and other vet bills.

Can you help us? Can you please donate any amount to help us with this dog's medical bills? We do not yet know his name, but we know we were told that he looked so hurt and confused when the 'owner' left him with animal control to be euthanized. Even the folks at the Gwinnett County GA shelter who deal with callousness everyday were surprised at this owner's insensitivity.

Please, if you can help, go to our website at www.scmradoption.com and Paypal whatever donation you can afford or send a check to SCMR at POB 2005, Chattanooga, TN 37409. We know many of you have adopted from us and continue to support us. This is an unusual and extreme emergency. We thank you for whatever you can help us with, and understand it is a tough time for many people so your ability to donate may be limited. Any donation is appreciated! Merry Christmas to all, including your 4 footed furry children! We will post information and updates on our website as soon as possible.

We now have more information on the little guy we have named Murphy. They initially thought he had a ruptured disc and surgery was needed. After a battery of tests (i.e, myelogram, MRI and CSF tap), it was determined late yesterday that he either has Fibrocartilaginous Embolism (think of this as a stroke to the spinal cord) or an abnormal disc injury (high velocity, low disk injury). The care for either is the same--supportive care.

We talked to Dr. Samatha Kegge concerning his prognosis. The fact that he has deep tissue pain and slight mobility is a good sign. She also indicated that he seems to have a bit more mobility in his hind legs this morning. As of right now, she feels recovery for Murphy is reasonably good. She could not give us any percentages, but feels that we will know more after this weekend.

We are planning on picking him up on Tuesday, December 27. Arrangements have already been made for this sweet, brave little boy to begin physical therapy with Cassy Englert as directed by Dr. Kegge. We still believe in miracles and are praying that this little guy will have a full recovery.

As of yesterday, his bill was at $2,130 (for services performed thus far). It appears that the $2,500 figure initially quoted is going to be very close. We want to thank everyone who has opened their hearts and pockets to help this little guy.

We are still in need of funds to cover this little guys medical bills. Can you help us? Can you please donate any amount to help us with this dog's medical bills?

Please, if you can help, go to Paypal

Merry Christmas to all, including your 4 footed furry children!

We first want to thank everyone who helped this little guy. We have now raised the necessary funds to cover his current medical bills. Everyone's generosity was very heartwarming to all of us at SCMR. We can never thank everyone enough. We also want to thank United Animal Nations (www.uan.org), who donated funds to help Murphy.

Murphy was picked up by his new foster mom on Tuesday, December 27, as planned. We wish to thank Rodney and Rexine Bierman (past adopters) who drove all the way to Athens from Marietta, GA, to pick this little guy up. According to the University of GA his prognosis is very good. He has already recovered the ability to control his bodily functions. We are hopeful that with physical therapy he will begin to regain use of his back legs.

Murphy was very frightened when we first got him. Whenever his foster mom tried to pick him up he would cry and try to bite. We are sure he was just frightened because of all the procedures he had to go through. Yesterday (Thursday) he began trusting. He will now crawl over to his foster mom to get into her arms. He loves to lay on her chest and sleep. He also is very interested in all his foster brothers and sisters. He's a tiny little thing and probably doesn't weigh more than 5-6 lbs.

He should be starting therapy soon, and we will be sure to send out regular updates on him. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. His foster mom has had experience caring for a crippled dog since she fostered Kip. You can read his story under our "Special Needs Dogs" page on our website. He is now walking and doing wonderfully. We are hopeful that this sweet little boy will have the same happy ending.

We want to thank everyone again for all your help. Please feel free to contact us for updates about Murphy and keep an eye on our website.

We hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year, including your 4 footed furry children!

You will need <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html" target="_blank" title="Click here to get a free version of QuickTime!">QuickTime</a> to view <a href="100_0082.mov" title="Link to video file">this video</a>.      

Murphy went to visit Cassy Englert, the Certified Animal Rehabilitator, so she could evaluate him. His backs legs are getting stronger every day, and she was very pleased by his progress thus far. The video above is part of Murphy's Initial Evaluation.

This brave little boy is doing wonderfully. He is now walking although he still drags his back legs some. We truly believe that he will make an almost complete recovery. If not for your support, he never would have had this opportunity.

You will need <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html" target="_blank" title="Click here to get a free version of QuickTime!">QuickTime</a> to view <a href="MurphyVioeo_012206.mov" title="Link to video file">this video</a>.      

2/13/06 UPDATE: Thanks to everyone's help, Murphy is doing beautifully. He's a happy little guy who thinks he should get all the attention. He is a bit on the spoiled side, but he deserves it! He's walking well and even doing steps. He does still drag his back toes on occasion, but we have been told that he could continue to improve for up to a year, so we are hopeful that this will be the case.

Murphy has had all his vaccinations and has tested negative for heartworms. He is at the vet's today being neutered and having his teeth cleaned. He wasn't very happy with his foster mom about this, but we are sure he'll forgive her.

Murphy is ready for a new forever family where he'll continued to be spoiled rotten. We know that if Murphy could talk he would thank all his angels for their help. If not for your generous donations, we would be unable to help dogs like Murphy.