One of the important areas your donations support is paying the major medical bills for our rescues. We save many dogs each year who need extensive medical care. This can include major surgery, recovery, rehabilitation, and multiple rechecks. Early 2024 brought Fiona into our care from North Central shelter.

An extremely generous funder stepped up, offering to pay for Fiona’s medical care. Blue Man Dog agreed to pull Fiona from the shelter, knowing there wouldn’t be a large bite taken out of the new year’s funding. One of our volunteers picked up Fiona from the shelter and transported her to Animal Specialty & Emergency Center (ASEC), where we rely on veterinary surgeon Dr Eric Chow for major procedures.

Fiona’s surgery, on 2 February, lasted approximately three hours, as Dr Chow and his team repaired her back legs. The left hip was completely dislocated, and presented with scar tissue and arthritis. The remedy was a femoral head ostectomy (FHO): removing the ball from the hip socket. Dogs who undergo this surgery then have a “free floating hip,” according to Dr Chow, which, as it heals, is held in by scar tissue and muscle. Fiona’s right tibia was “shattered” which required placing a pin in the bone marrow, then a plate and screws in the leg. Again, with healing, the muscles strengthen and support the leg.

Below, Fiona arriving at ASEC, and Dr Chow, using a model, demonstrating how he repaired her hip.

Fiona came through her surgery very well and began her healing process. In mid-March she was ready to go out on foster, with post-surgery instructions to increase her exercise slowly week by week for four weeks. Then she’d be ready to run, jump, and play like any normal young dog.

BMD volunteer Andrea, her husband Nathan, and their dog Billie Jean, welcomed Fiona into their home as a foster. Fiona loves her foster sibling – though she’s sometimes a bit much for senior sister Billie! Fiona enjoys her walks, hiking with Griffith Park Hikers/BMD, trips to the park on a long leash, and play dates with sweet Pittie Choco – a Foster SLA alumnus – and her Dobie mix friend Sylvie (pictured below). She’s also an excellent couch potato and very good sleeper.

Three months passed without an adoption application. Finally there was a possible meeting, but Fiona needed to be cat tested. When Andrea told Nathan this news, Nathan gave Andrea such a sad face, and said, “but she’s part of the family now.” Uh oh. “Does that mean we’re keeping her?” asked Andrea. They decided to sleep on the decision. The next morning, Andrea called Mia to let her know there was no need to cat test Fiona; she was officially a foster fail!