This New Year, Sue Blankenship from Newman Lake, Spokane, Washington, adopted a dog called Bruno who suffers from the same heart condition as she does.
Source: Spokane Humane Society
Bruno, renamed Mars by his new owner, lived at the Spokane Humane Society, a non-profit organisation which helps animals in need.Sue Blankenship came to know of Bruno and his health problems through a friend.Mars suffers from Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), a heart condition where a blood vessel between the main pulmonary artery and the lower chamber of the heart fails to close after birth, resulting in a heart murmur. He therefore needed life-saving surgery to relieve his condition.
Source: KREM2
It is a condition which Blakenship is very familiar with, having had the same surgery sixty years ago to correct her own heart defect.As reported by the news site KREM2, Sue immediately felt compelled to help Mars:
In that moment, as crazy as it sounds, I just had this feeling that we were meant to be because I had had that same surgery like 60 years ago.
Despite being unsure as to whether she could adopt Mars straight away, Blankenship put all her her efforts into saving his life.
I emailed my neighbors, I emailed my mom, my brother, sister and asked them all to donate.
Estimated to be more than $4,000 (roughly £3,900), the vet’s fees were costly, but thanks to the generosity and determination of Sue and her loved ones, the Spokane Humane Society was able to raise the sum.However, just letting Mars have the life-saving surgery he needed wasn’t enough for Sue:
I just felt like I had a connection with him. I couldn't forget him, you know what I mean? I kept checking the website every day, seeing if he was on there yet because I was not sure how he came out of the surgery.
Happily for Sue, everything fell into place and Mars was finally available for adoption.
Source: I still love dogs
"He jumped up on the fencing and just made incredible eye contact with me, I mean just like boring into me, and I just felt like he was saying take me," she said.This heart-warming story is a reminder that no-one is immune to love at first sight; many cats and dogs are in Mars’s position, and are only asking to be loved and cared for.Tens of thousands of dogs and cats end up in shelters each year due to neglect, abuse or abandonment. Consider adopting before you shop and visit your local shelters before going to a breeder. Every dog and cat deserves a fair chance at a forever home.If you live in England, you can visit the RSPCA, and if you live in the United States, you can visit the ASPCAto get more information about pets available for adoption.
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