Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Pippa: A Rescue Dog Miracle



When a small dog appeared in the North Florence community of Seven Points, those who saw her were shocked. The white and tan terrier was sporting a tumor the size of a bowling ball on her right side. It was fairly easy to take possession of the hungry dog who wore no collar, but once at the Florence, Alabama, animal shelter there was some doubt that the plucky little girl could be saved.


A visit to a local veterinarian offered no hope; the tumor was connected to various nerves and blood vessels and was considered inoperable. Debbie Rappuhn, director of Heart of Alabama Save Rescue Adopt, refused to give up and took the dog now named “Pretty Girl” to a second veterinarian who agreed to perform the sensitive surgery.

Debbie Rappuhn
Pretty Girl underwent the operation on November 22, 2013, coming through the ordeal weak but otherwise basically healthy. HASRA didn’t want Pretty Girl to be forced to recover in the impersonal shelter and sought a foster home for their patient. Pretty Girl went to live with Kim Ferguson.

Kim Ferguson
Once ensconced in the Ferguson home, Pretty Girl came to be called “Pippa.” What started out as a foster arrangement soon turned into a permanent family, and a year later Pippa is one happy dog. Kim states that Pippa, being an older dog, has some problems with her vision, moves slowly, and has only nine teeth. No matter her physical problems, everyone who meets Pippa describes her as 100% happy.


What started out as a death sentence for a small discarded dog became a fairy tale come true for Pippa. After all, she’s now the namesake of Prince William’s sister-in-law—it doesn't get much better than that.


If you would like to donate to HASRA, here's the link: