A Friend’s Loyalty, a Lifeline for Aspen

Big Little Life Animal Rescue found Aspen laying in the middle of the road. She had been struck by a car, her body broken, her cries for help unheard by the crowd around her. But Aspen wasn’t truly alone. Reks, a brave and loyal dog, was by her side. Despite his own injuries—his ear torn, his leg limping—Reks stayed with Aspen, never leaving her, protecting her in her moment of greatest need.

Big Little Life rushed Aspen to the vet where they received bad news. Aspen’s hip is broken. She needs immediate surgery—femoral head ostectomy (FHO)—to have any chance of walking without pain. The cost of the surgery alone is around $1,000, but it’s her only option to heal and live a life free of suffering.

Right now, both Aspen and Reks are safe at the shelter. Aspen is being cared for and is receiving pain management injections to reduce swelling. As of now, Aspen cannot stand. She drags herself around, even making the effort to go outside when needed. She’s incredibly strong, but she needs rest, care, and the surgery to give her a shot at walking again.

Thankfully, Reks was lucky. His injuries—bruised leg and torn ear—are minor, and after some treatment, he’s on the road to recovery. But it’s Aspen who needs us now. Together, we can give Aspen a second chance at life. Let’s show Aspen and Reks that they are not alone.

Update 2/11/25:
Aspen has made it to Moscow, and is about to go into surgery. The doctor examined her and found that she either has a uterine injury or is in heat. Depending on what they find, she may be spayed during the operation.

Then came another call from the surgeon. The fracture isn’t just a simple break—it’s a comminuted fracture, which means the bone is broken into multiple pieces. The surgery will be longer and more complicated than we had expect and the initial estimate didn’t fully reflect the extent of her injuries.

She’ll need at least a few days in the clinic to recover before moving to medical boarding. This is so much more than we expected, but Aspen has no choice—she needs this and we will do whatever she needs to heal.

Update 2/13/25:
Aspen’s surgery went well, and she came out of anesthesia safely. The procedure lasted four hours due to the severity of her fractures. A long screw was placed in her pelvis, and in about 1.5 months—possibly sooner, depending on her progress—it will need to be removed. Her next check-up in two weeks will help determine the timing.

Aspen is eating and drinking, but she remains in a lot of pain. The clinic wants to keep her at least until Friday. She is on constant pain relief and has a catheter because standing up and urinating on her own is too painful right now.

There’s also a big concern about her neurological condition. She folds one of the hind legs under and with her toes curled. It’s too early to say what this means for her long-term recovery, so we’ll have to monitor her closely and see how things develop.

She has a tough climb ahead, but she’s getting the best care possible. If you’d like to help her through this recovery, we would be beyond grateful. Every bit of support makes a difference.

Update 2/14/25:
Aspen is out of ICU!

She no longer needs intensive care, so today she was discharged from the hospital and moved to medical boarding. She spent a day in the therapy unit after surgery, and now her condition is stable. Her bloodwork looks mostly good, though her white blood cell count is slightly elevated—nothing unexpected after such a major procedure. She was sent with a treatment plan and medications, and we’ll be back for a follow-up with the surgeon and another X-ray at end of February.

Now begins the long part—recovery. After surgeries like this, dogs need time for the bone to heal and the body to adjust. At first, movement is very limited to avoid putting stress on the repaired area. Too much too soon, and the screws can shift—that’s the worst-case scenario. So, for now, she’ll be resting a lot, with careful pain management and support. Once we get the all-clear from the surgeon, we can slowly start helping her build strength again.

She’s been through a lot, but she's safe, she’s cared for, and we are so relieved to have her in a place where she can heal properly.

Update 2/17/25:
Aspen is healing, and she’s making sure we all know she has opinions about it. She’s being quite capricious—refusing oral medications, so we have to give injections instead, which she loudly protests and demands being fed canned food by hand. She drinks a lot and she’s moving around more confidently—though that one paw is still not quite right. Her belly, which had sagged from the fracture, is starting to tighten up again. The wound is draining, which is actually a good thing. Slowly but surely, she’s moving forward. We’ll need to see a neurologist later to understand what’s going on with her paw, but for now, we’re focused on her recovery.

Update 2/25/25:
Aspen is making steady progress!

We’ve been draining less and less fluid each day, and the swelling is going down. Her freshly shaved back is already sprouting little hairs—she’s clearly determined to grow her fluff back. She’s walking much more confidently, though that one paw still gets a bit tangled now and then.
Big milestone—no more accidents! She’s going out over eight times a day, but until yesterday, she still had little mishaps. Yesterday was her first completely dry day, and we’re celebrating this victory!

Today, we went for a follow-up X-ray, and the doctor was happy with how everything is healing. Aspen, however, took the car ride as an opportunity to sneakily lick her stitches—so she’s still on probation when it comes to making good choices.

Aspen is not just brave—she’s the sweetest soul. She adores people, and she’s just as lovely with other dogs—no drama, just warmth and easy companionship. She's not a fan of the vet though - you should see how quickly she "ran" to the car when we were done, bad leg and all! For a dog who's still healing, she sure knows how to make a quick exit when freedom calls.

Rehabilitation is just around the corner, and thanks to you, she’ll get every chance to fully heal. Every step she takes, every moment of comfort she feels, is because of the love and generosity surrounding her. We’re beyond grateful for your support—Aspen wouldn’t be here without you.

Update 3/10/25:
Aspen is getting stronger every day! She’s walking so much better now, and her fur is starting to grow back where she was shaved for surgery—just a little fluff, but it’s a start!

She has a follow-up surgery appointment scheduled for the 25th to remove some of the bone-supporting pins. They’ve done their job, but now they’re just getting in her way. Once they’re out, she should move even more easily! This procedure won’t be nearly as complicated as the first one, and she’s feeling great, which is amazing!