The animal rescue group "Tails Of A Shelter Vet" takes care of homeless animals that are in particularly bad shape. They try to help those animals that everyone else has given up on.
Althea, a mix from San Jose, California, was discovered on the street by a volunteer. She was brought to the local vet; her fur was dirty and matted, she was thin as a rail, and the worst thing of all: she had a giant tumor around her eye.
There was no way she could see out of her eye and we can only imagine how painful this must've been.
The vet contacted "Tails Of A Shelter" and told them that he had to put her down unless the organization took her in.
A volunteer immediately set out to pick her up. Despite her suffering, Althea proved to be a friendly, happy dog. The volunteer knew right away that she couldn't be put down. But something had to be done, otherwise she would die as a result of her tumor. So, she was moved to the top of the list for an emergency operation.
Then came a surprise: The vet discovered that the tumor wasn't actually part of her eye, it just covered it. That meant that there was a good chance that Althea would be able to see again after the surgery.
Immediately after the procedure, everyone could tell it was a success. Her face was still swollen, but finally the sweet dog can see again.
Althea's eye might not look "normal" to everyone, but from a veterinary perspective, this operation was a huge success!
Even though she can't blink with one of her eyes, she can finally see again and is free of so much pain!
2 weeks after her surgery, Althea is looking happy and healthy and feeling playful with her new humans. Here's a video of her transformation:
This story is another reminder that you can never give up on animals. Even if it seems like it might be easier to put them down, you should really give them every chance to live. Thank goodness Althea was saved! May she have many more happy dog years ahead of her.
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