Mission Saves Charlie not Once, but Twice

For Damon, dogs are an essential part of his life. They provide companionship and unconditional love.

“No matter what you have going on, they’re happy-go-lucky.”

That positivity brightens Damon’s bad days, and every day is made brighter by playing with his dogs, Charlie and Duke, in the backyard.

Charlie is about 5 years old, and he came to live with Damon and his wife after they were looking for a rescue after their last dog passed. Damon saw his picture and knew right away that he was the one for them.

But when Charlie first came home, his new family realized that he was a social dog who needed a buddy. He was mopey and unsure what to do with himself without a live-in playmate—so Duke joined the family, and the two are a perfect pair.

There have been some close calls, however, where Duke and Damon came close to losing their best friend. Not once, but twice, Mission Animal Hospital has been able to save Charlie and keep this sweet boy with his best friend and loving parents!

Charlie first came to Mission Animal Hospital when his family noticed that he hadn’t been eating for about three days. He was usually a picky eater, but he began vomiting as well. They knew that something was wrong. They brought him to a nearby emergency veterinarian, who diagnosed him with an obstruction caused by a foreign body. It would need to be removed surgically.

But when Damon heard the cost of the surgery, he couldn’t believe it. He knew it wasn’t feasible for him and his family. But he also couldn’t stand the thought of losing Charlie. It was an impossible situation.

Thankfully, the emergency veterinarian referred this family to Mission Animal Hospital. We were able to perform the surgery, and removed a small hand towel from Charlie’s intestines!

So months later after Damon and his family were traveling Charlie found himself in some very serious trouble after finding a smorgasbord of medications gathered in a travel bag for their trip. Damon knew that Mission Animal Hospital was the place to take him. Unfortunately, Tylenol was one of the medications, putting Charlie’s life at risk.

Mission Animal Hospital was able to save Charlie for a second time, through careful treatment and medication. Damon, Duke, and the whole family were so grateful.

“Everyone at Mission shows their care for the animal first,” Damon said. “They’ve always been fantastic and caring.”