a rescue centre that takes in dogs from Romania, Bosnia and Spain, is raising funds to help one of the pups in their care…
Lily and her three siblings were rescued by Scruffy Dog Rescue Shropshire (SDR) after they were dumped at a public shelter in Bosnia. They were all taken to a trusted and safe foster home in Bosnia, and following vet checks, and the regulatory 28-day welfare period, SDR arranged transportation and they arrived in Shropshire in November 2022.
All four puppies were undernourished, and Lily had additional needs as she was born with one front limb missing and a deformed hind leg on the same side. In effect, Lily is a bi-paw, not a tri-paw (yet); as a tiny puppy she had no balance mechanism for walking. At one stage, it was feared she may not make it. But make it she did, with the care of Jinni Hugill, who owns and manages Scruffy Dog Rescue Shropshire.
The three siblings all flourished and were soon adopted to their forever homes. But Lily wasn’t ready for her forever home, not yet. It was decided that Lily needed to experience home life and Sue Barrington, who fosters voluntarily for the rescue centre, and manages their fundraising, stepped in and she brought Lily home to Wirral for further tender loving care, and to live with her own two rescue dogs in a quiet household, so she could develop further during a short stay foster period. All the while, Lily was growing, and putting weight on, but her hind leg still wasn’t usable.
Lily was taken to see a vet who x-rayed her hind leg. Complex issues were revealed – her patella is on the side of her leg instead of the front and her shin bone is twisted. There is also a ligament issue which prevents the leg from extending fully. She was referred to see an orthopaedic specialist.
Following a CT scan, which revealed there is no groove in her thigh bone where the patella should sit, the orthopaedic surgeon advised that he could help her and an operation to correct her hind leg would be possible but she needed physiotherapy first to stretch her thigh muscle so that it would fit the newly placed patella. Her shin bone would need correcting with plates and/or pins, and the cost of these procedures, which may take 2 or even 3 operations, would be circa £10,000.
Sue launched Scruffy Dog Rescue Shropshire Fundraising back in October 2022, and the focus now was/is all on Lily, to raise the necessary funds to help her. Meanwhile, the surgeon referred her to so she could have local physiotherapy to prepare her for surgery. Lily has begun this course and it is already helping her.
Scruffy Dog Rescue Shropshire Fundraising has already funded almost £2,800 for the tests so far; this has involved several experts in the field all of whom wish to help Lily lead her best life. If the funds for her operation(s) can be raised, she will be able to balance and walk on three legs, and lead a near normal life for a tri-paw dog.
Lily is currently in long term foster with a family in Wirral, after SDR requested applications for her on a Foster to Adopt contract. A request was included that the foster family needed to live nearby to one of the rescue centre team, so that close liaison would be possible, and a lovely family who are experienced tri-paw owners, came forward. Whilst Lily is in foster, the rescue centre is responsible for her medical and general health bills.
Sue told us, “Lily is doing so well, she is a determined, tenacious, clever puppy, who overcomes her daily issues in an amazing way. She gets about on her two good legs, but as she can’t balance, she often falls over, and after a few moments of movement, she needs to rest – it’s very tiring being a bi-paw.
“I see Lily regularly and she never fails to amaze me given her disability. Lily is 1 year old in July 2023. It is hoped her funding will be available by then, so that the next stage of her rescue journey can begin. What a wonderful birthday gift that would be.”
If you would like to donate to help Lily, and follow her story, you can read regular updates via GoFundMe at