Sadly, owner-surrenders are very common at shelters everywhere. People return or surrender their dogs for many reasons, ranging from children’s allergies to financial distress to housing that won’t allow pets to pure callousness.
Despite this commonly occurring situation, a Dallas area rescue was shocked when a pup named Hattie was surrendered. Hattie’s owners brought her to a local shelter in 2018, and at the time, she had a massive tumor growing on her left side.
(Warning: some may consider the following image disturbing)
Apparently, the huge growth had been developing over the previous two years, and nothing had been done about it. Dallas DogRRR – Rescue.Rehab.Reform took Hattie into their care, hoping to give her a chance at a better life.
A Risky But Miraculous Surgery
Obviously, the rescue knew they needed to get this mass removed. They brought Hattie to Vet Ranch, an organization that provides veterinary treatment for homeless animals.
The additional weight on her side affected Hattie’s legs and her ability to walk. Dr. Karri with Vet Ranch also worried about the blood vessels and muscle on that side. Still, Hattie maintained a sweet demeanor. Before surgery, Dr. Karri shared:
“It’s just so sad to me that she’s used to just dealing with this.”
Incredibly, the vets were able to remove the giant tumor, which ultimately weighed 15 pounds. That’s about half of the dog’s body weight!
Hattie’s body had some adjusting to do, but the resilient and happy-go-lucky dog made it through! She even had a foster waiting for her on the other side. Hattie was eventually adopted later in December of 2018.
If you have the stomach for it, Vet Ranch uploaded a video of her surgery and recovery process:
Tumor-Free And Happy
Without this “bean bag” of a tumor hanging off of her, Hattie runs much more easily. She still has some medical consequences, but she lives a full, happy life with all the love and care she needs.
Hattie’s adopter shared on Facebook:
“She lives in a house [with] a yard, and has a giant fur sibling. She has free range of the house and sleeps in a king size bed every night. [Hattie] has had some challenges medically, but we go to the Vet monthly to keep her monitored.”
Once surrendered and looking hopeless to some, Hattie is just a happy, healthy dog enjoying her senior years with a family. Of course, there’s veterinary science to thank, but mostly props go to the people who could see that she deserved the best.
H/T: The Pet Needs
Featured Image: @DallasDogRRR/Facebook
