In April 2016, an unusual-looking puppy was brought into the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter in Ohio. The four-month-old puppy’s snout and mouth were crooked, and he was missing an eye. The animal shelter decided to name the pup “Squish.”
Unfortunately, because of his injuries, Squish was unable to eat.
He had to get his nutrition intravenously, but it wasn’t enough. He started getting skinnier and skinnier. And as he grew, his injuries started to cause him more pain. As he got bigger, his face sunk in even more, and he could barely open his jaw.
The poor pup was suffering, and the shelter started considering euthanizing him to save him from further pain. The shelter workers were heartbroken about the idea of losing Squish, and so they decided to get one more opinion before making the decision about euthanizing him.
The shelter works brought Squish over to VCA Great Lakes Veterinary Specialists to get a second opinion about his condition.
When it was time for Squish to get his CT scan, the veterinarians asked their intern, Dr. Elizabeth Boyd, to bring him in. As soon as Boyd saw Squish, she immediately fell in love with him.
“I was enamored by this little one-eyed pup who clearly endured so much pain,” Boyd told The Dodo.
Boyd brought Squish into the examination room, and the team gave the pup a CT scan. The results were even worse than they imagined.
The young puppy had fractures in his lower jaw and right upper jaw, and he had a huge amount of scar tissue around his jaw. The CT scan revealed the reason for Squish’s injuries: a cruel person had hit him on the head with an object heavy enough to cause significant damage.
The veterinarians told the shelter workers that the puppy would need extensive surgery on his jaw. Even with that, they weren’t sure if he would ever regain enough mobility in his jaw to chew. After hearing that, the shelter made the decision to keep Squish on their euthanasia list.
But then, an angel stepped in to save Squish: VCA Great Lakes’ intern, Dr. Boyd.
When Boyd heard that Squish was going to be euthanized the next day, she quickly volunteered to take him home for the night. She wanted the puppy to experience just one night of warmth and happiness at the end of his short, sad life.
As Boyd drove Squish home, he looked out the window, taking in the world around him. Boyd was amazed by how energetic the little puppy was, how much life he had in him.
That night, Squish fell asleep in Boyd’s arms. As she looked down at the little puppy, her heart melted, and she knew she couldn’t bring him back to the shelter. But Boyd was moving from Ohio to Texas to finish her veterinary residency—could she really bring an injured dog who needed extensive surgery with her?
After seeing Squish cuddled against her, she decided the answer was yes.
Before Boyd and Squish left for Texas, Dr. Eileen Heldmann at VCA Great Lakes Veterinary Specialists did surgery on Squish and removed part of his lower jaw. As soon as he woke up from the surgery, he was immediately able to open his mouth! Boyd bought him a puppuccino to celebrate.
Now, Boyd and Squish are happily living in Texas, and little Squish has become an Instagram celebrity.
Squish’s page has over 87,000 followers who love seeing the cheerful pup’s daily adventures. The dog is still as energetic as ever, and he loves spending time with his mom.
Squish had a rough start to life, but he’s now happy, healthy, and in a great forever home. If you’d like to see more of Squish’s adventures, check out his Instagram page.
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