Puppies are just adorable.
They’re tiny, playful, affectionate little beings you can carry around everywhere. What’s not to love?
Perhaps this is why many people end up getting a puppy before they are ready or before they know how to prepare for one…
And maybe that’s why it’s so important to keep spreading stories like these – don’t get a dog if you can’t commit to being a responsible owner!
This tiny, bony, chihuahua was saved from a San Jose, Calif., home where she had been neglected.
Back in 2015, the local Animal Care Center came across the dying puppy and named her Mia. She was taken in by her unidentified owner.
Mia was diagnosed with a uterine infection named pyometra – in which her former owner refused to pay for at first.
Mia eventually relented, and she was prepped for the surgical procedure she needed.
The kind vet, seeing what pain the dog was in, performed the life-saving surgery despite not knowing if Mia’s owner would be able to pay for the operation.
All the vet knew was that this bony little dog deserved a chance.
The operation was a success, but after surgery, tiny Mia looked worse for wear.
She was still pale and needed a blood transfusion ASAP. Her owner however, refused once again.
Mia spent several days healing at the hospital but then something shocking happened. Her owner showed up for a visit and smuggled the pup out of the practice without paying for the surgery.
The vet then requested that San Jose Animal Services check up on Mia, thus Mia’s owner had to bring her back. Mia was found starved and extremely thin.
Mia had lost a quarter of her body weight in three weeks. According to her owner, she had been feeding Mia milk and chicken broth – but Mia was emaciated, dehydrated, lethargic and pale.
Officers ordered the owner to take Mia to the vet for treatment. When this request was denied, the officers took Mia in themselves.
While the vets prepared to use a feeding tube on the pup, a nurse soon discovered Mia could eat, but only if hand fed.
This was a happy task for the team, who fed her by hand and weighed her every 3 to 4 days to make sure she was gaining weight.
Soon, Mia’s personality started to emerge. Much like any other dog, she loves to snuggle under blankets. She also loves belly rubs.
After getting the right treatment, Mia became happy and playful. It didn’t took long before Mia regained a third of her body weight.
The once neglected and starving pup became very social. She started hanging out with the students at the practice and even dressed up for Halloween…
She loves going on trips with her foster “mom,” Dr. Tyson, a vet at the practice that had saved her life.
Meanwhile, a court decision made sure that Mia’s owner would never again be able to gain possession of the little dog. That also meant Mia would finally be allowed to be adopted.
Mia never had an owner…just an abuser. Glad she was taken off those horrid monsters!
Best of luck to those who adopted this little sweetheart!
Let’s all hope she is out there happily cuddling or taking a walk in a life better than anything she could have dreamed – share this story on Facebook if you agree!
