When Hope arrived at our Lonsdale Shelter in January, her left hind leg was so badly broken, it was literally dangling.
With Hope having come to us through the inspectorate, we can't go into much detail about her backstory. But we can say that before being brought to our shelter, the poor young puppy had been left without much-needed treatment for two days.
At only four months old, poor Hope (now named Freddie) had been through the wars.
How things were about to change…
To save her leg, Freddie has multiple surgeries - funded entirely by generous donations
Freddie's condition was so serious that we wanted to do all we could to save her leg from amputation, including listing the help of a highly skilled orthopedic surgery specialist.
As a charity 91% funded by community donations, we couldn't do this on our own - and we issued a desperate plea for help.
Incredibly, kindhearted supporters donated over $3,000 to cover the costs of Freddie's ongoing treatment. We wouldn't give up on this darling girl, and neither would you.
Veterinarian Dr Richard Savory, a long time RSPCA supporter and orthopedic surgery specialist, conducted four operations to treat Freddie's complex injuries and save her leg. This brave girl maintained such high spirits throughout it all.
Freddie's injury was complex, and she required ongoing aftercare and rehabilitation.
But she didn't have to do it alone.
Freddie recovers from her surgeries in the loving care of enamoured Adelaide vet and family
When local vet Dr Derek, his wife Jill, and their son Callum saw Freddie's story on our Facebook page, their hearts melted.
"Following the passing of our beautiful RSPCA rescue dog Phoebe, we were looking for a family member to join our RSPCA rescue cats Wilma and Pebbles," Derek shares.
"I knew that as a vet and a pet lover, my family and I would be able to care for Freddie and all her special needs. Not just her physical needs, but her emotional needs, too."
At this stage, not only did Freddie still require treatment - but her case of alleged cruelty was still before the court, and she was not yet legally in our care and able to be adopted.
So, Derek and his family took Freddie under their wing in foster care, hoping they would soon be able to provide a forever home for this darling girl.
All the while, Dr Derek very generously provided Freddie with all of her aftercare and rehabilitative physiotherapy, at no cost to our charity.
In days filled with puppy chinos, cartoons, and lots of playing, Freddie now lives her absolute best life
Two months after Freddie first came to our Lonsdale shelter, she was legally surrendered into our care, and Dr Derek and his family were thrilled to formally adopt her - continuing to provide her with all the rehabilitation she needed as her leg improved.
So what does Freddie's life look like all these months later?
"Freddie's leg is SO much better," Dr Derek tells us.
"She loves life and wakes up happy every day. She loves so many things, like playing with all her toys, sleeping in her cosy baskets or our bed, going to the beach, and running around Victoria Park with her puppy friends."
"But by far, Freddie's favourite activity is going in the car for a drive to get a puppy chino and a biscuit!"
This sweet little girl also enjoys sitting on the couch and watching TV, with a particular fondness for cartoons and animations. We're told that her favourite movie is Yogi Bear - too cute!
It could not be further from the little Freddie we met in January, sadly left without the treatment she urgently needed.
"Freddie is very loved and spoiled and deserves to be," Dr Derek says.
"We are so sad when we think about what has happened to her. It certainly hasn't always been an easy life for her, but with us she gets all the TLC she needs."
Freddie even participated in RSPCA's Million Paws Walk: Walk this May, and raised an amazing $1,000 for other animals in need, just like her.
"We are very proud of her," Dr Derek shares.
'Freddie has brought us so much joy and happiness - thank you for bringing her into our lives'
It's only thanks to the kindness of our generous supporters that Freddie was able to get the treatment she needed, and find such a wonderful home with Dr Derek, Jill and Callum.
"To everyone who donated to Freddie's treatment, thank you very much," Dr Derek shares.
"Freddie is an adorable little girl who we could not be happier to have. Everyone she meets, she greets with lots of kisses. Our family is so touched by the love shown to her by RSPCA and their supporters and all animals great and small.
"She has brought us so much joy and happiness. Thank you again for bringing Freddie into our lives."
Thank you, Dr Derek. And thank you to all our supporters.
From the bottom of our hearts, we're so grateful to all our supporters who made Freddie's new life with Dr Derek and his family a reality. If you'd like to continue helping animals just like Freddie, head over here to see our current emergency appeals.
