Plastic Surgery for Puppy

   

            It’s been a rough summer for Wendy Cernansky.  She lost her beloved golden retriever, Quincy, on Mother’s Day and has been feeling empty ever since.  When her husband encouraged her to adopt another puppy, fate seemed to take a hand.  Wendy felt immediately drawn to the furry face in a Facebook post of a “special” puppy in need of a home.  The family was selected from dozens who applied; Wendy and her daughter, Malena, made the trip to Corapeake NC to pick up the newest member of the family: Malikai.

                Malikai was born on May 20, sharing his birthday with Quincy.  Wendy smiles with a tear in her eye, “It seems like Quincy chose him just for me.  He follows every step I take, just like she did.”  Without a doubt, the happy-go-lucky ball of golden fluff is a special guy – a special guy with special needs.  Malikai was born with a cleft palate.  This opening between the roof of his mouth and his nasal cavity makes the most natural thing in the world – eating – a difficult thing.

                Twice a day, sometimes more often, Wendy must use a special tool to clean food and other objects from the opening and she brushes his nose with water to make him sneeze out any foreign bodies.  He cannot drink from a dish, using a rabbit bottle instead, and is forbidden chew treats of any kind.  Keeping him safe, healthy, and clean is a lot of work – work that Wendy is willing to do for Malikai’s life, but there are dangers involved.  If food or some object is aspirated through the opening into his lungs, pneumonia is likely, and death is not unusual if this happens.

                Malikai is a lucky pup.  Dr. Alexander Reiter, Dpl, Tzt, the Head of Dentistry and Oral Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, has agreed to take him as a patient.  The surgery is not simple and the recovery will be long.  Mailikai will spend weeks confined to a crate and will have to learn to wear a basket muzzle to prevent him from damaging the rebuilt tissue while it heals.

                Wendy and her family are up for the challenge, but an obstacle they’re having difficulty overcoming is the cost: $3,800 -$6,000.  They are willing to make sacrifices and have asked for extensions to their credit limits.  The vision of the Ethel Fund Inc. is that no parent should have to choose between the needs of their family and the wellbeing of a beloved pet.  A grant has been made to help pay for Malikai’s surgery but the total cost is more than our organization can provide.  If you’d like to help, please send donations to: The Ethel Fund Inc., PO Box 1231, Somerset PA 15501 with “Malikai” written in the memo line of your check.

                The Cernansky family has long been involved with Golden Girls Pet Therapy and are now “paying it forward” by joining the Ethel Fund Inc. as active volunteers.  Malena is learning what it means to love and to be loved every day.  When asked what she thought of the people who were helping her puppy get his surgery, she beamed her beautiful smile, hugged her pup, and replied, “I think they’re great.” 

Rebecca is the President & Executive Director of The Ethel Fund Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to changing animals' lives by providing assistance in times of catastrophic veterinary need.  To learn more, please visit http://www.ethelfund.org or https://www.facebook.com/TheEthelFund.  You may contact Rebecca at rslindeman@ethelfund.org.

Phil Balko is the proprietor of Photography by Balko and donates his talents to the Ethel Fund Inc. as well as other community organizations.  To see more of his work, visit http://philipbalko.com/. You may contact Phil at inquiry@philipbalko.com.