Life-Saving Surgery Needed For Boxer Puppy 'Dolly'

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A boxer puppy with a rare birth defect needs life saving surgery and a forever home.

Boxer pup Dolly is 6 months old and sure is playful. It's like she has no idea she suffers from a rare life-threatening disease.

But her excessive thirst is a sure sign that something's wrong.

"Dolly was born with an abnormality of her liver," said Dr. Kate Cappe at the VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital. "The blood supply that comes from your spleen and intestines is filtered by the liver and, in her case, it's not flowing normally."

It's called a liver shunt. The vet explains it causes growth problems, as well as thirst and frequent urination. The vets at VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital have been caring for Dolly and giving her medication but she requires costly specialized surgery that will take her north to Gainesville.

"There's only a handful of surgeons in the world that really perform this procedure," said Dr. Cappe. "So, for her, we wanted to find the absolute best and there's a doctor at the University of Florida that specializes in this procedure."

It's a costly procedure that almost caused her previous owner to euthanize her. Thankfully, Boxer Friends Rescue Group gave her a second chance, placing her with a foster family.

"They really took on Dolly as a special project when she could fit basically in one of my hands as a little puppy," said Dr. Cappe.

More than half of the $8,000 needed for Dolly's surgery and care have been raised so there's still some pitching in to do to keep Dolly playing for years to come.

"It's hard to say no to those little droopy eyes!"

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