Little Girl Reunited with Dog After Donors Pay for Surgery To Keep Pup from Being Put Down
Canadian resident Joan Ehman was faced with a heartwrenching dilemma when she learned that her granddaughter’s dog, Buddy, needed a very expensive medical procedure.
Pet owners generally know up front that having a pet costs a considerable amount of time, money and energy.
While owners have an endless supply of love, they also live with the reality that money only goes so far, and can’t always solve every pet’s medical problems.
Ehman, who is raising her 5-year-old granddaughter all on her own, started paying for Buddy’s medical treatments as soon as she realized something was wrong.
When the Bernese-Greater Swiss Mountain Dog-Pyrenees mix was about 3 months old, Ehman noticed the pup had trouble walking on all four legs.
The young puppy should have been a furball of boundless energy, but instead, Buddy’s legs were stiff and achy, as though he were already a senior dog.
The medical exams began, and eventually, x-rays revealed the dog had a condition known as osteochondritis dissecans, which causes cartilage to separate from the bone.
Couldn’t have been assigned a better story on a rainy Friday- little girl reunited with her dog after ‘Buddy’ was destined to be put down. Spoiler alert – Buddy is alive and well! pic.twitter.com/SNfOH1JoPR
— Jill Bennett (@jillreports) November 23, 2018
“Unfortunately for Buddy, because it was affecting all four of his limbs he didn’t have a dominant leg to stand on,” Dr. Sevima Aktay told Global News.
The only solution for Buddy was surgery on all four limbs, to the tune of $9,000 dollars. Ehman, who had already paid thousands for Buddy’s medical care, didn’t have the money.
Caring for her granddaughter, who has special needs, plus trying to pay for Buddy’s surgery was just not something Ehman could financially sustain.
With broken hearts, Ehman and her granddaughter Noel concluded that Buddy would need to be euthanized.
But just one day before Buddy’s scheduled euthanization, Ehman received a surprise email from Canada West Veterinary Hospital in Vancouver.
The information was beautifully stunning: Buddy’s entire surgery costs had been paid for by the Jesse Bandit Donor Assistance Fund.
“I was thrilled,” Ehman said. “I just can’t believe how people can be so generous.”
Instead of heartbreak, Ehman got to watch Noel reunite with Buddy just days after his first surgery. The pup will have a second surgery after he’s recovered from the first.
Ehman is hopeful Buddy’s story will encourage others to donate to the Jesse Bandit fund as well.
“I’m forever grateful,” Ehman said. “If more people can donate, that would be wonderful.”
Watching her granddaughter laugh and play with her furry friend has made Ehman’s heart swell with joy.
“He’s so good with her, and she just loves him,” she said. “He’s such a good guy.”
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