Lucille in her holiday sweater.
Found alone near a busy intersection, the tiny dog was covered in fleas and shivering when she arrived at the Animal Rescue League.
But it was watching her try to walk that was truly heartbreaking. Her back legs wobbled and shifted back and forth at the knees. She hunched over a little to steady herself as much as she could, but she could not walk anywhere near normally.
X-rays showed that both of her kneecaps were severely displaced—one was out of its socket constantly, and the other moved in and out of its normal position as she walked. The little dog, who we named Lucille, had been living with constant discomfort, probably for much of her life.
Lucille with her foster family.
Lucille's condition was so severe that she needed double knee surgery in order to give her permanent relief and help her walk normally again. Her surgery should have happened long before she ever arrived at the ARL, but now that she was here, we were committed to giving her the quality of life she deserves.
Thanks to the support of people like you, we were able to do that.
We're happy to say that Lucille's surgery was a success! She spent weeks at the ARL recovering, and our staff took turns cuddling with her every day. She loved being carried around and gave kisses to everyone she met.
Lucille, prior to surgery.
Once Lucille's healing had progressed to where our surgical team felt she was ready for a foster home, we contacted a wonderful family who had expressed interest in adopting her and asked if they'd like to foster her as she continued to heal. They immediately came to pick her up! We're happy to say that Lucille is thriving in her foster home and her walking has continued to improve every day. She loves all the toys and attention, and she has a full wardrobe of sweaters to keep her warm already!
Once Lucille is ready, her foster family plans to become her FOREVER family, and she'll finally have the home she has always deserved.
Your support makes stories like Lucille's possible every day, and we couldn't be more grateful.
To learn about the many ways you can help pets in need like Lucille, please contact Lora Rogers at (515) 473-9119 or legacy@arl-iowa.org.