Original Article: https://www.austinpetsalive.org/blog/amplifylifesaving-for-animals-like-martha

Feb 07, 2019

Martha’s story is one of true resilience and inspiration. A good Samaritan noticed that this sweet girl had been tied in front of a storefront for days and called for help. When this call was inspected, eight-year-old Martha was found severely injured. It looked like she had been hit by a car and then tied up, as her back left leg was severely fractured and her tail and some of her teeth were broken. She was immediately rescued and made her way to the APA! Clinic where she was put into the hands of those whose goal was to make sure she never had to suffer another day in her life.

This goal was not met without roadblocks, though. Martha was suffering from a severe a case of heartworm disease and it was very touch-and-go with the injuries to her back leg. For two months, veterinarians told Martha’s foster that Martha’s leg would probably have to be amputated, but Martha’s strength persevered during this time, and four months into her injury, her leg began to heal. By month five, she could walk on all four legs again! Finally, it was time for Martha to find her forever family – and that’s exactly what she did.

It was love at first sight for Sara, Martha’s now mom. She saw Martha on the APA! website and just knew she had to meet this smiley and cuddly girl. Once Sara and her partner met Martha, there was no going back, as they knew she was meant to be a part of their pack. They filed for her adoption that day and were overjoyed when approved to take her home. June 8th is Martha’s adoptiversary, a day that Sara has etched into her memory.

From that point on, Sara and her partner focused on helping Martha live her best possible life. She was still suffering from heartworms and needed to lose the weight she had gained from being immobile for the past few months. Every day the new family would go on walks to help rebuild Martha’s stamina and strength. At first, the walks were kept short, as Martha was still getting comfortable with using her back leg again. A few times, Sara’s partner would have to carry Martha home, as she would become too tired to complete their entire route. As August neared, Martha’s heartworm treatment began to really ramp up, and they had to take a breather from Martha’s exercise routine. Once this resilient lady was found to be heartworm free, though, the walks began again.

Today, Martha is officially down 12 pounds and enjoys romping about, meeting new people, and receiving lots and lots of cuddles! This lovely little family recently moved to North Carolina and enjoys their time camping and going on regular 3-5 mile hikes – something that months before was unrealistic for Martha; but thanks to those who were – and are – on a mission to #AmplifyLifesaving, Martha is able to do all the things a pup should be able to do. Most importantly, Martha was given a second chance at love and life.

This month, we encourage you to take part in our efforts to #AmplifyLifesaving for Amplify Austin Day, which kicks off at 6 PM on February 28th and will run through 6 PM on March 1st! When you donate today you’ll also give APA! the chance to win an extra $5K as the non-profit with the most donations before February 28th. Plus, when you donate to our Amplify campaign, you will be directly helping save Austin’s most vulnerable lives – like Martha. Last year APA! saved 10,000 lives, donate today to help us save 10,000 more in 2019!

Source: Austin Pets Alive