A staff member at Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) was arriving at work one morning when she noticed a box sitting outside the rescue’s Parvo ICU door. She walked over and peered inside — and found a confused Frenchie staring back at her.
The pup, later named McNugget, had been abandoned in the box with a note that said, “Found Dog S. 1st & Congress. No owner has reached out.” The staff member brought McNugget inside to get her settled in, not realizing there were still more surprises in store.
Unfortunately, APA! discovered that McNugget was unable to use her hind legs due to both a collapsed disc and a condition called spondylosis. She was paralyzed, likely unable to leave the box she was abandoned in even if she had wanted to.
“We imagine the person who brought her to us did so anonymously because APA! is not open intake, but they knew that the rescue would ensure her safety, no matter what challenges lay ahead,” Luis Sanchez, public relations and communications officer for APA!, told The Dodo.
Despite her challenges, McNugget began to grow and heal in foster care, and soon the perfect forever family arrived to take her home. Her new family renamed her Shrimpina and have loved her from the moment they met her.
“When I got to meet her, she instantly lit up and scooted towards me as fast as she could,” Bailey Guptill, Shrimpina’s new mom, told APA!. “Once she was in my arms, I was in love.”
Shrimpina is now thriving in her new home and has even taken her first steps, doing her best to learn to walk again. Every day is an adventure, and she’s so grateful to her family for taking a chance on her.
“Shrimpina is a ball of energy,” Guptill said. “As soon as she wakes up, she’s all snuggles and licks. She loves spending time cuddling on the couch, but also loves playing with squeaky toys. The best part has been getting to have her sit in my lap while I work from home. She’s the best lap dog ever!”
Rescues like APA! give dogs like Shrimpina a second chance at life, and the little pup isn’t taking a moment of it for granted.
