You might remember the hero of this particular story. When tiny 3-week-old Pigtails came into foster care, she was full of sass, spunk, and strong opinions. But as soon as she switched to solid food, things took a scary turn: she couldn’t keep anything down. Every meal ended in regurgitation, weight loss, and worry.

Her foster family refused to give up. They discovered wrapping her in a blanket and feeding her upright in a bucket (yes, it’s as adorable as it sounds), helped her eat and keep food down. As she outgrew the bucket, one crafty community member made a custom 3D-printed contraption for her to eat from while standing on a miniature stepstool. For a while, it worked. But soon, Pigtails started to lose weight again, and we knew something more serious was going on.

A barium study revealed the cause: Persistent Right Aortic Arch (PRAA), a congenital defect where an artery constricted her esophagus and made it nearly impossible for her to swallow. Without surgery, she wouldn’t survive.

That’s when this community did something extraordinary. 

In just a few days this summer, you helped raise over $8,600 to give Pigtails the life-saving surgery she needed. It was a first-of-its-kind case for our shelter—so rare that her doctor called her “the smallest patient they’d done a CT scan on in 25 years.”

Thanks to your incredible generosity, Pigtails’ surgery was a success! This tiny fighter finally has the chance to live the joyful, love-filled life she’s been fighting for since she could fit in the palm of your hand. And the best part? She doesn’t need special equipment anymore—just the chance you gave her to live, heal, and thrive.

Perhaps because she needed so much care early in life, Pigtails was already comfortable with people. Her easygoing, affectionate nature quickly won the hearts of many staff members. At AHS, saying goodbye to the little lives we nurture every day is never easy…but thanks to your support, those goodbyes are often new beginnings. One of our own staff members couldn’t resist Pigtails’ charm and gave her the perfect home. Now known as Lucy, she’s living her best life—and it’s all possible because of you.