A puppy dubbed “Million Dollar Baby,” or Baby for short, is already living up to her name after being rescued weighing just a few pounds.

Barely two months old, Baby was rescued in the nick of time from Austin’s city municipal shelter. When she arrived at Austin Pets Alice (APA!) in pain, her tiny body was covered in fractures, her bones weakened by chronic malnutrition and critically low calcium levels.

“She’s such a fighter,” said Dr. Rachel Gordon, a veterinarian with APA!, who took Baby home as a foster to monitor her closely. “Despite her multiple fractures, she continues to be a happy little puppy and exudes gratefulness in everything that is done for her.”

After seeing her condition, Gordon knew she had to do something, so decided to take Baby home herself to foster.

Her injuries painted a picture of the heartbreaking reality. While it isn’t clear exactly how she came to be in the shelter, her malnourishment and brittle bones point to poor treatment. She still can’t reliably chew solid food and instead eagerly laps up syringe-fed food throughout the day.

Against the odds, Baby is making what APA! hopes will be a full recovery.

“She still requires calcium supplementation three times a day to minimize her low calcium levels, but takes all of her medications without fuss in her pill pockets,” Gordon said.

The road ahead is long, but Gordon has gone above and beyond the usual, taking in Baby herself. While it may be at least two to three months before the pup will walk again, Gordon remains positive.

“This is going to be a very long road until she can potentially be moving around, but I’m happy with the progress we are getting already,” Gordon said. “She loves to interact with my dogs behind the baby gate and my male tortie Finn is helping me by being Baby’s second nurse.”

APA! expects Baby’s recovery will cost around $2,000. The nonprofit, which specializes in caring for animals with medical and behavioral needs, continues to rely on public support to provide second chances to vulnerable pets like her.

This isn’t the first time a vet has gone above and beyond to take care of a dog in need. Earlier this year a veterinarian in Alabama took on a senior dog when her owner became gravely unwell.

“She had been returned because unfortunately the owner had gotten very sick and couldn’t take care of her,” the vet explained. She fell in love instantly, and decided to take care of the senior dog herself.

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