Shortly before Thanksgiving, ACS took in an adorably cute little Terrier mix named Lil’ Man.  Lil’ Man quickly won all our hearts and we had a tremendous amount of interest in him right off the bat.  To prepare him for adoption, Lil’ Man got all his shots and was neutered.  All was well until the night before Thanksgiving when Lil’ Man became very lethargic, wouldn’t eat, and was running a temperature of 104.7.  Thinking Lil Man was having a reaction to the anesthesia, we quickly called the vet who neutered Lil Man.  Although his office was closing, his staff was kind enough to wait for us to make the drive across town to pick up medications and IV fluids for Lil’ Man.  When Lil Man’s condition had not improved by Thanksgiving morning, we rushed him to Pewee Valley Vet Clinic where we were met by Dr. Leap.  Dr. Leap did blood work and x-rays and began an aggressive course of treatment. By Saturday, Lil’ Man still had not shown any sign of improving so an exploratory surgery was done to rule out a blockage.   Things were pretty touch and go for this little dog that had won not just the hearts of the staff at ACS but also the hearts of Dr. Leap and the rest of the Pewee Valley staff.  Lil’ Man remained hospitalized in ICU at Pewee Valley for the next ten days.  Because he was on IVs and pain meds, Dr. Leap had to come in and check on Lil’ Man every four hours.   Then a miracle happened – Lil’ Man started eating, then he started wagging his tail, and soon he was barking and pacing his crate.   The little dog that we prayed we wouldn’t  be saying a sad, tearful goodbye to had done a complete turnaround and was back to being the happy, energetic, and affectionate little guy he was the day we first met him.

Had Lil’ Man been at another shelter when he became ill, there’s a good chance he would have been euthanized.  But here at ACS we make a commitment to every dog, puppy, cat, and kitten that we take in – a commitment to make sure that he or she is given every opportunity for a second chance at a loving home – even if that means spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on medical treatment if he or she becomes ill while in our care. 

We can’t thank Dr. Leap and the rest of the dedicated and caring staff at Pewee Valley Vet Clinic enough for the excellent care they provided to Lil’ Man.   But the costs associated with his treatment and recovery are astronomical and far exceed the amount we have budgeted for veterinary expenses.  

We know times are tough right now but if you have an extra dollar or two to put towards helping ACS cover the costs of Lil’ Man’s medical bills, it sure would be appreciated. Your donation can be made by check (indicate “For Lil’ Man” in the MEMO section of your check), through PayPal, or by cash donation at the shelter.

Lil’ Man and the ACS staff thank you for being there for him in his time of need.