A tiny puppy in rural Gambia found himself in a desperate situation when he injured his front paw. Due to the lack of veterinary care in this part of the country, his family had nowhere to turn for support. Unbeknownst to them, a team of animal caretakers were already on their way.
The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust arranges pop-up clinics around the country to help serve animals in their community. The puppy’s family knew this was his only shot at proper care, so they made their way to the set-up in search of help.
Waiting at the pop-up clinic was a Vet Nurse named Emily, who was shocked at the condition this poor pup was in. The tiny puppy was battling a severe infection that had eaten away at his paw, and had become incredibly weak due to his poor medical state.
“He was such a weak soul, that we even considered putting him to sleep due to his slim chance of survival.” – Emily, Vet Nurse
Something about this puppy pulled at the team’s heartstrings, and they knew they had to give him a chance to fight. His family knew they could not offer him the care he needed, so they handed him over to the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust caretakers.
Once the team made their way back to the main clinic, they immediately got to work saving the frail puppy’s life. After lovingly naming him Hiccup, Emily became more determined than ever to fight for his survival. She cared for the sickly pup around the clock, giving him the tools he needed to defy the odds.
Days went by, and it became clear that Hiccup had a fire burning inside of him. No matter what stood in his way, he was determined to push through and see another day.
Hiccup soon made it through his critical stage, and could finally be the spunky puppy he always wanted to be! He was soon able to join the other permanent residents of the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, and find his spot amongst a crew of other rescued pups.
Hiccup now spends his days alongside his favorite human, Emily, as they care for the many patients that walk through their clinic doors. He also has two furry best friends, both of which have been rescued from other life-threatening illnesses. Simba was rehabilitated from a severe paralytic disease, while little Orange underwent weeks of treatment for a serious case of Parvovirus.
Hiccup gets around just fine on three paws, but he will receive a prosthetic paw once he has finished growing. Emily and the rest of the team want to offer him the best life possible, and will give him everything he needs to live a full life!
We are so thankful for the incredible work of The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, and can’t wait to see how many animals they continue to save. If you would like to keep up with Hiccup and the rest of the pups at the charity, you can follow their work here.
H/T and Featured Image: TheNomadVetNurse/Insta
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via Whisker Therapy