Do you know that a starfish (or a sea star) can regenerate its limbs? Some can even grow an entirely new body!
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Meet a different kind of Starfish
This is Starfish. She is a German Shepherd. She is playful and loves running around.
Could you believe that once like a severed starfish, she also had to “grow her limbs?”
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Starfish was born paralyzed
She was found abandoned in a box by Alaina, an animal shelter personnel. When she held her, she knew instinctively that something was wrong. So, she rushed Starfish to the shelter immediately.
They loved her at the shelter. She was cute and bubbly. She just could not stand.
A hard decision had to be made
When doctors examined Starfish, they thought that she had malformed organs. They advised that she be euthanised. To them, she had little or no hope of surviving.
They were already saying goodbye to our hero
Just as they were about to put Starfish down, another veterinarian went in for a second opinion. He examined the feisty puppy and diagnosed her with Swimmers’ Syndrome. In a gist, this happens when puppies could not stand or walk normally. It is a difficult condition to have but is curable.
Talk about a last-minute miracle!
Love is an element of healing
To get better, Starfish needed a foster family to take care of her. Fortunately, she was taken in by Maggie, a lovely girl who has been a shelter volunteer for a long time.
Maggie and her family were supposed to take care of Starfish for only two days. Fate had a different plan for them though. Maggie completely fell in love with Starfish. She begged her parents to adopt the dog. Though her parents were caught off-guard, they decided to welcome the German Shepherd into their fold.
Starfish was a fighter
In order to walk, Starfish had to go through therapy. This was not an easy process. It took time and lots of effort.
Our hero did not give up though. She was determined to walk. She kept pushing herself.
Eventually, she did walk and more
A year into the life of Starfish and Maggie, we see that the once lame dog is now running around the beach and spending time with the family in parks. It is unbelievable to think that a year back, Starfish was paralyzed and was constantly lying flat on her belly.
She is inspiring
The family sings praises for this wonderful dog. They are amazed at her willpower and optimism. She loves life and it shows!
Maggie shares that during times of doubt, she recalls how determined Starfish was to walk. She realizes that difficulties are temporary. She understands the power of moving forward.
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It takes a village
Starfish is where she is today because of the help of many people. Apart from Maggie and her family, Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter also gives medical support to our dear hero. In fact, when Starfish needed a surgery for severe hip dysplasia this group of people stepped in to help. They even raised funds for her.
In these times of hopelessness, doesn’t it feel great to hear stories of survival just like Starfish’s?
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Watch Starfish’s video and see how we can all learn to fight for life as she did!
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