A couple from Arkansas has given up their wedding fund and is also using their life savings to save a Goldendoodle who is a victim of a hit-and-run accident.
On November 02, Dylan McCay shares the story of how he and his fiancée, Emily Roberts, decided to help a Goldendoodle who was left to die on the side of the road.
Documenting the whole thing on Facebook and creating an album called “Saving Acklin”, McCay first reveals that he saw a post on Halloween about an injured puppy left on the side of the road.
“She had been struck by a vehicle in a hit and run. It had been raining all day and she was wet. I gathered towels and blankets and sped to the location,” McCay wrote.
When McCay arrived at the location, he saw the puppy’s back legs covered in blood and appearing to be broken.
He and a couple of kind strangers transported the pooch into McCay’s car and rushed her to the hospital.
McCay said that despite the situation she was in, Acklin didn’t whine nor growl. Instead, she tried to crawl toward’s McCay and laid her head on his lap.
Upon arriving at the hospital, McCay found that Acklin was not microchipped, meaning all medical expenses will now fall on McCay.
It was a very big decision to make, given the injuries that the pooch sustained during the accident. However, McCay said, “I decided in that moment that I would do whatever was necessary to help this puppy. She deserved a chance at life.”
McCay wrote, “She will have a long and difficult recovery ahead of her, but we are doing everything in our power to help this beautiful girl.”
He then reveals, “We have pulled the money from our wedding fund and our overall life savings to fund these medical expenses.”
The staff at the hospital told McCay how bad Acklin’s condition was – bruised lungs, both hind legs were broken, both femurs fractured, with one being an open fracture, infections, and numerous fleas.
“The next morning (November 1st) the doctor called to inform me that the leg with the open fracture would need amputated and the other leg will need a specialist to perform a very difficult surgery,” McCay reveals.
But this did not stop McCay and Roberts from helping Acklin recover.
The couple searched for a surgeon in Conway, Little Rock, and Memphis to perform the “extremely difficult operation” before going on a 10-hour round trip to Mississippi State University (MSU) in hopes that they could help Acklin.
Thankfully, the surgery at the Mississippi State University was a success. As a matter of fact, the team at MSU not only managed to reconstruct Acklin’s leg, but also managed to save the other one without having to amputate it.
After the successful surgery, Acklin has to get physical therapy and consistent treatment at home to avoid further complications.
McCay reveals, “The surgeons at MSU and doctors at Greenbrier are concerned that arthritis could set in early for her. Additionally, the surgeons at MSU felt that she could be quite prone to early hip dysplasia.”
On a November 08 update, McCay reveals that the pooch has started to bear some weight on her back right leg and is now able to go on walks with just one MSU staff instead of two.
“She begins official rehab this coming Monday and we are hoping to take her home on the weekend,” McCay reveals.
The couple thanked everyone for the monetary donations and all the shares that their posts are getting. They wrote, “We cannot thank you all enough & words can never describe the gratitude Dylan & I are feeling. Our sweet girl is able to get this much deserved help because of all of you.”
Acklin will continue to recover, but the journey ahead is still long. So, if you can help Acklin in her journey of recovery and healing, you can donate on her GoFundMe.
Alternatively, you can share McCay and Emily‘s posts about Acklin’s journey on Facebook to get her story out there!