Chance

There are many sad stories in any hospital. Veterinary hospitals are no exception. On a cold winter morning of 2006, two puppies from a litter of German Shepherd mixed puppies came to the hospital to be euthanized. They had been exposed to the deadly Parvo virus and the breeder could not afford to pay for giving the puppies the needed treatment. He requested that the animals be humanely euthanized.

When the two puppies tested positive for Parvo, one of the veterinary technicians asked the doctor if the puppies could be saved with proper treatment. When the doctor said that with treatment more than 80% of dogs could survive, the tech decided to pay for the treatment. The doctor obtained permission from the owner and, shortly afterwards, began treating the two puppies, a male and a female, about 8 weeks old.

For a week, the puppies were fed by IV, unable to move and nearly unresponsive. Finally, on the tenth day, the hospital staff came to see puppies yapping and standing up! It was time to name the puppies and find permanent homes. One of the hospital clients adopted the female and the vet tech adopted the male, whose enormous feet already hinted at his adult size. She gave him the name "Second Chance" because he had been given a second chance at life.

Today, Chance has grown into his feet: he weighs 90 lbs and is three feet tall. He is truly enjoying his second chance!

> Sammi