Dog who lost ears in fire becomes best friends with earless stuffed toy
A dog who lost his ears in a fire became best friends with an earless stuffed toy
This pup’s ears had to be removed after he was badly harmed in a fire. To make him feel better, vets gave him a companion with a similar condition, and the two became best friends instantly.
A 3-year-old terrier named Scooby and another dog were left by their owners in the cabin of a truck while they were out and about running errands.
When a fire broke out in the cabin, the other dog managed to escape, but Scooby was left behind and suffered severe burns.
The terrier was brought to the BluePearl Veterinary Partners hospital in Blaine, Minnesota. Since the owners couldn’t afford to pay for the treatment, nonprofit organization Frankie’s Friends stepped in and covered the vet bills.
Veterinarians managed to remove the melted plastic residue from the pup’s paws and tended to his scorched nose. Sadly, they couldn’t do anything to salvage his ears. They were so badly damaged that they had to be removed.
Veterinary technician Leah Falon got Scooby a stuffed Hello Kitty toy and altered it just for him, so that he’d have a friend with the same condition.
“One of the technicians brought him the stuffed toy because she didn’t want him to feel lonely,” BluePearl spokesperson Carrie O’Brion explained.
Not only has Scooby taken a lot of comfort in his new toy, but the two have become inseparable. The pooch now carries his earless stuffed pal around with him and has begun napping on top of it.
“At first, he didn’t want anyone to touch him because everything hurt. But now that he’s feeling better, he’s really affectionate. He’s started asking for belly rubs,” Falon said. “He’s so sweet and he has these really soulful eyes.”
According to veterinary technicians at BluePearl, the 3-year-old terrier can still hear and is recovering well. However, he will need some more post-operative care and still has to wear booties to protect his injured paws.
After being discharged, the pup will be taken care of by one of the veterinary technicians until his owners are back on their feet.
Needless to say, his earless stuffed toy will tag along every step of the way.
“Scooby will absolutely take the toy with him. He loves his Hello Kitty,” O’Brion said.
