Recovery of a Champion

     It had already been a daily struggle to leave that sweet face every morning, and then I had to leave that sweet face on three legs the morning after surgery--someone's gotta cover the vet bills :-/ Thankfully, Bo's dad signed on for "puppy duty," so she would be looked after, while Bo and I went back to the daily grind. There's nothing like a mountain of a man--my six-time UO letterman father-in-law--referring to himself as "Grandpa," and doting on your wounded puppy.. let me tell you. He went through three total join replacement surgeries last year, and had the sweetest empathy for our girl, himself relating to her experience. They had created the most adorable bond.

     I worried all day, and then came home for lunch to this hero

(She was supposed to "lay low," and had been sleeping all day, until Bo and I walked through the door at the same time--don't fret, we made sure to limit her activity during recovery)

     By this time, we had settled into a care routine, and I was a bona fide canine pharmacist. With antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and pain meds, we had finally gotten ahead of her pain, and were able to keep her comfortable--hooray (and thank goodness for peanut butter)!

     By the end of the first day of recovery, she was able to walk, run, sit, squat, back up, and function in every normal puppy capacity. Seeing her strength and vigor was completely inspiring, and we were finally feeling 100% confident in the decision we had made, and our bright future with sweet Betty. It was like she hadn't missed a beat, and three were certainly better than four.

"Sisters"

Back to her usual spot, helping out with the dishes

     Another fantastic helping hand appeared, and my mom signed on to watch Betty for two 11 hour shifts in a row. Unfortunately for her, puppygeddon had hit the bank hard, and she was welcomed into a home with two main light bulbs out, no toilet paper, no edible food, and the cable had been turned off... I came home to find that she had entertained herself :)

     She definitely missed the plea to keep her in her cone, but my mom reminded me that she was able to keep me alive... and they DID look pretty sweet... here's one section of her instructions (she also fed her out of the fridge, ending the blissful days of a puppy who doesn't beg :-/... again, she did keep her happy and alive, so it was a total win for us!)

     We were feeling like things were beginning to normalize, and every moment with her was a shining example of true tenacity and optimism.  It had become crystal clear that we had a very special pup on our hands, and her impact on those around her was undeniable. This little girl was meant to spread joy, and the thought of the positive impaction she would ultimately have on those who need it most was positively invigorating. Thoroughly immersed in puppy love.

A special kind of puppy stretch