Rey

Rey has been adopted! –

Rey is a heartbreaking example of why puppy mill breeding must be stopped! Rey was born disabled by the most severe patellar luxation of both knees that we’ve ever seen. Her tibia and femur are also deformed. Because puppy mills only care about profits, not dogs, Rey was still sold online, without disclosing her disability. She was put on a plane to her unsuspecting human, who ultimately surrendered her to us.

Rey spent just over 2 years in rescue. We wanted to explore every possibility of giving her better use of her rear legs, and we knew that would involve expensive surgeries, so we elected to keep her in rescue for as long as it took to get to the best possible outcome for Rey.

We were fortunate to find a foster who was had experience with disabled dogs. We were also lucky to have Dr. Stacy at Animal Care Center of Castle Pines as Rey’s vet. She fell head over heels for Rey the moment they met. She donated her time, and recruited her friend & surgeon, Dr. Miller, at Colorado Canine Orthopedics. Together they would tackle this unique and difficult case.

Rey would need 2 surgeries, but it was best to wait until Rey stopped growing; she was only 7 months old at the time. Unfortunately, while we were waiting, Rey managed to have an accident while playing and fractured one of her front legs, requiring an urgent surgical repair, further delaying the first surgery on her rear legs.

Rey’s surgery on the first of the 2 rear legs, was a “very complex, difficult, and intense surgery” according to Dr. Miller. She needed 8 weeks to heal, and then rehab before operating on the second. But poor Rey was suffering from resistant recurring infections and was in more pain than expected. We were blessed to find an amazing rehab/pain management specialist, Dr. Marie, join our efforts. Dr Stacy got the infection under control, while Dr. Marie alleviated her pain. The therapy to help Rey elongate her muscles and extend the leg proved to be a challenge. Until Rey could extend and put weight on the leg, the surgery would be ineffective, and she would not reap the benefits of the repair. Despite Dr. Marie’s best efforts, Rey was never able to extend the leg. This meant that surgery on the other leg was not advisable, and Rey would remain disabled for life.

One might think this an unhappy ending, but the truth is, Rey has never been bothered by her disability. She’s never known anything different and is extremely well adapted. However, without the results we hoped for, Rey’s foster recognized that their home (with stairs) was not going to be the best or safest environment for her long term. It was time to find her the right forever home.

Kayleigh and Alan have adopted from us multiple times and fostered repeatedly over the years. They are the type of foster that is always willing to help out in a pinch, take on seniors, hospice, special needs, and hard-to-place dogs. Although they already had their own senior Jack, were fostering hospice dog Marley, and mourning the recent loss of their beloved Saki, they offered to dog sit for Rey while her fosters went out of town. Kayleigh reported that Rey was an absolute joy to have in their home, and she really helped them cope with their grief. When it was time for her to leave, they really didn’t want her to go.

Sadly, Marley passed away shortly after Rey’s stay, yet when Kayleigh and Alan heard that Rey’s foster was not going to adopt her, they wasted no time letting us know they wanted her! Their home is a ranch, Rey was already comfortable there and bonded to everyone, and there was still room in their broken hearts for one more. Needless to say, we were thrilled! In spite of her troubles, Rey is one of the sweetest, happiest, most joyful Shibas you will ever meet. She is truly living her best life. Congrats to Kayleigh, Alan, Jack, and Rey. THE END. Or is it?……

Nope…there’s more! While in the process of finalizing Rey’s adoption, Kayleigh and Alan stepped up, once again, to help us in an urgent situation. They agreed to foster a difficult to place young dog, Linus (pictured in the family photo, along with Rey and Jack). Spoiler-alert: they ended up adopting Linus too! Stay tuned for that announcement!