Sometimes, the smallest things can pull the hardest on the heartstrings.
Marcela Wedel found that out firsthand when she was introduced to a tiny little puppy who literally took her breath away. She wasn’t looking for another dog and really wasn’t sure if she was ready for another, but the puppy stole her heart, so she took her home.
She said:
“I stopped breathing for a minute and just fell in love with her instantly. I said to myself, ‘This is the one I’m keeping.’”
The puppy’s mother, Maia, had been rescued from a drug lab in San Jose, Costa Rica, two years earlier.
The police found the dogs chained up on the property and covered in blood. Nobody is sure how they were treated or what they were used for, but some people believe they could have been guard dogs or fighting dogs.
The two rescued dogs were sent to foster care. Marcela’s friend was fostering Maia when she gave birth to a litter of puppies. Marcela happened to be there during the birth, and when she saw the tiniest puppy in the litter, she couldn’t resist her.
She named her Puppy Grey.
Puppy Grey was the runt of the litter, and it was clear she had some issues. She wasn’t developing as well as her littermates. When the other puppies started walking and moving, she wasn’t. She also wasn’t growing as fast as the others. Marcela felt that the puppy might have some form of dwarfism.
She took the pup to the vet, who said that the reason she couldn’t walk was due to neurological issues. She advised Marcela to have the pup put down. Marcela refused. She was in love with the pup, and she knew that she could help her live a normal life.
She started working with Puppy Grey every day to help her become more mobile.
The two did a lot of therapeutic exercises, and they often went swimming and even to acupuncture clinics for help. Finally, Puppy Grey started moving. She also learned to smile. It was like she had finally reached her goals and was excited about them.
Marcela explained:
“The smile started when she was maybe a few months old, and it can light an entire room. It’s contagious. You can feel your eyes tearing up. Sometimes people come to meet her, and they are so overcome by emotion that they cry.”
Puppy Grey continued to move around on her own for several years, but then one day, she stopped.
Marcela took her to the vet, and they determined she was suffering from a hernia. They rushed her into surgery, but it didn’t help Puppy Grey. Her lower body was paralyzed, and she wasn’t able to walk again.
She wasn’t just unable to move around; she also couldn’t even relieve herself without help from Marcela. She also needs a lot of medical care. Marcela says that caring for her can be challenging. She struggles with finding the money to pay her medical bills, and Puppy Grey requires constant care.
She explained:
“If I go somewhere I need to know that she can come with me, and if not, I probably won’t bother going.”
Lifting and carrying Puppy Grey around all the time has also taken its toll on Marcela physically.
She has a lot of back pain and sciatica. She doesn’t complain, though, and she wouldn’t change a thing. She loves Puppy Grey and is glad that she gets to take care of her.
She added:
“I don’t think Puppy would be alive today if it weren’t for me, or someone else willing to do the same for her. Most other people would have put her down when the first vet gave the indication for euthanasia when she was 1 month old.”
To help raise money for her medical costs, Marcela sells products with photos of Puppy Grey on them.
She also teaches yoga and Pilates classes. Puppy Grey also has her own Facebook page, where Marcela shares photos of her as well as her story. She currently has 20,000 followers.
Marcela throws her a birthday party every year, and they go to local schools to share their story and let kids interact with the dog. Marcela cares for eight other rescue dogs, too. Puppy Grey and Marcela also travel to Costa Rica to assist a rescue with other dogs.
Marcela explained:
“She’s been going to Territorio since forever, even before she became paralyzed, and she loves it. There are a few dogs who always come to say ‘hi’ to her when we arrive.”
Marcela and Puppy Grey were made for each other, and they have a close bond.
Things may not always be easy for them, but they make each other happy and take care of one another.
Marcela added:
“She’s the perfect little combo, and she’s a soulmate. I’ve never loved someone the way I love her. I can’t imagine my life without her.
“She means the absolute world to me. [She’s] like the air I breathe every day, and I would do anything to keep her safe and happy.”
Let’s hope they have many more years together.
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