We posted this not long ago but were not able to raise enough so we are trying again! We are grateful to everyone who pledged last time, it's heartwarming to know that there are so many kind people out there who are willing to help others! God bless you all.
Stewie is a 5 year old pug we rescued 2 years ago from a backyard breeder who dumped him off because she thought he was too big and didn't like his coat coloring. When we got him, he had open sores all over his body, he was partially deaf because his ear drums had ruptured due to chronic untreated infections and his joints were severely worn down because of years of confinement.
It took a lot of work, love and patience and eventually we taught him to walk on a leash, sit patiently for his meals, potty trained him and he has a handful of tricks that he's mastered. He also loves to hike! He is quite an attention getter when we hit the trails(it's not often you see a pug on a mountain), as of today he has about 7 hikes under his belt on 5 different mountains. His greatest acheivement was completing a 14 mile hike with a grueling elevation gain and horrendous switchbacks, when he got to the top he spent the next 20 minutes rolling around in wild flowers and enjoying the spectacular view! Stewie also enjoys the dog park and loves it when we go on random walks through the forest where he can explore and chase squirrels.
Sadly though, a few months ago Stu began to limp every now and then. We put him on glucosamine and chondroiton, anti-inflammatory medication and when he was in a lot of pain we gave him tramadol. He seemed to be doing O.K. for a while until about 2 months ago when he could barely make it out to go to the bathroom. We took him back to the vet and after xrays, they found that his hip was popping out of place because the ball joint was not fitting into the socket, they also found that he had a luxated patella. We had a surgery date set up for him, but our kitten required 2 major surgeries, and right after that our dog required emergency vet care. Needless to say that the money that was for Stu's surgery was used up, and then some. Luckily Stewie will not have to get a total hip replacement. The vet believes that by shaving the ball joint down (femoral head ostectomy), it will fit into the socket and will be held in place by the surrounding tendons, this along with the knee surgery should will allow him to function like he did before. The most important part is that he will not be in constant pain like he is now.
We tried care credit but were not able to get it, we applied to numerous rescue organizations but were turned down either because Stu's case was not life threatening or because they were out of funding. We were however, granted $100 from concern for animals, which we are grateful for. The surgery for his knee and hip was estimated at $1300, we are trying to raise half of that because thats what the vet requires, and then they'll let us make payments on the other half. We posted on Fundable, but were not able to raise enough so we are trying again.
After everything he has gone through, he is still the sweetest dog who has a lot of spunk left in him. Our goal is to get Stewie well again so he can enjoy this second chance at life to it's fullest.
You can also send donations to Stewies vet:
South Bay Veterinary Hospital
3600 South Bay Rd NE
Olympia, WA 98506
RE: Account#2516/ Stewie the pug
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