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FINLEY
March 6th, three months into the year, and we were getting our first major medical case. We didn't know it was going to be when we got the call. We just knew that there was a little 13-pound White Shepherd that was scheduled to be euthanized in just a few hours, and we were the last call. We weren't even sure we could have someone make it to the shelter in time given the late hour in the day and the distance away. One look at his shelter picture, and we knew we had to try. The little guy sat for the camera, with a smile that covered his face and a cast that covered his leg. He had no idea what fate awaited him. To him, everyone was his friend. His life hadn't even begun, and it was about to end. We couldn't let him die. After a mad scramble to find transportation in time and the help of some people with very big hearts, later that night, the little White Shepherd made the long journey down to Coastal K9 German Shepherd Rescue. He went to sleep on a soft bed after eating a nice meal and getting loved on by everyone he met.
Finley got his name that night. In some languages it means "Warrior," but in some it means "Hope." After reading his shelter records, we realized just how fitting both those meanings were for Finley. His records read like a chapter book leaving us to wonder, how was he still alive? You see, Finley was born in the shelter. The early notes are of little puppies latching onto their mom and suckling for nourishment. At just over four weeks old though, the litter tested positive for parvo. The shelter did the best they could to care for them, to try to get them through it. Finley was one of the lucky ones. He fought hard and he beat death. Some of his siblings weren't so lucky. He beat parvo and then got giardia, a parasite that can be fatal to a young puppy who is already fighting so hard to live. With treatment, though, he was okay.
A few weeks later, the surviving puppies were healthy enough to go to a foster home. They were almost 8 weeks old, almost ready for adoption. That is where the notes for Finley stopped, though until February 27th, when he was dropped off at a different shelter by his foster, with a cast and a body wrap, told that he had a fractured leg. No explanation of what had happened or why he wasn't brought to his original shelter, just dropped of as a stray. Nothing made sense.
Finley was back in the shelter yet again. He was almost 4 months old. The shelter removed the cast and did an x-ray of his leg and saw what they thought was a healed fracture. They removed the body wrap and found a skin infection.
The next few days, he interacted with the shelter staff. They noted how he limped at times without the cast, how he whimpered when someone touched his foot from time to time. But the notes that pulled the most at the heartstrings were how he came to the kennel front to engage anyone who would get close, and he would continue to engage until they walked away. The note that pulled at the heartstrings even more was "rescue needed." Once again, Finley's life would be over soon, and he had no idea. Everyone was his friend. His life was scheduled to end March 6th, 2026, and this little guy had no idea.
In his short life, Finley had faced death when he should have been enjoying life. He endured pain and suffering when he should have been wiggling around biting his little puppy siblings, and he faced abandonment by the one person who had been entrusted with fostering him until he found a forever home. At the end of the day on March 6th though, he was safe.
When Finley woke up the next day, he was seen by the vet. His cast was removed and x-rays were taken again. There was indeed a healed fracture, origin unknown. The problem was it was in his growth plate. The damage done made it impossible for that bone to grow any longer. We got him to an orthopedic specialist as soon as we could. With a damaged growth plate, and one leg that didn't grow, Finley's paw had already begun to push outward. With age, it would only get worse. Surgical intervention was required, and it had to be done soon.
Finley had his surgery and is in recovery, a recovery that will take two to four months. One with strict rest and very limited activity. He is on medication for the pain after surgery. He has lots of toys to chew on, and more than anything, he is such a happy boy. Finley's life is just beginning, and when we look into his eyes now, we know he knows it is going to be a good life.
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