Miracle for a paralyzed dog

You can’t help but fall in love with Lil Debbie. Her absolute joy and enthusiasm for everything overshadowed the fact that not only did she lose her home and end up in an animal shelter, but she also couldn’t use her back legs. Staff at Holbrook Animal Care & Control — a Best Friends Network Partner in Arizona — took her in, made her comfortable, and took photos and videos to get help for the little brown dog.

They noted that Lil Debbie could go to the bathroom on her own (many animals who are paralyzed need help with that) and that she’s just 2 years old and “29 pounds of pure joy.” They had a veterinarian look at her, who determined she had an old injury and advised that it was uncertain whether her condition was permanent.

Cooper’s Chance Animal Rescue, a network partner a few hours’ drive from Holbrook, offered to help and took Lil Debbie into their care. She could drag herself along using her front legs, and a wheelchair helped her get around even better. She moved into a foster home, and over time, with careful rehabilitation and supportive care, her whole life changed. She took a few wobbly steps using her back legs, then more, and eventually she was able to walk on her own. Now she’s able to run and play.

Lil Debbie is living proof of what love, patience, and a second chance can do. The little dog who once struggled just to move now walks toward every new day with the same unstoppable joy that carried her through it all.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.