Abandoned and Injured, Matilda Still Has Hope

Matilda should never have been left to suffer alone.

She was found wandering a rural gravel road near Bethany, Missouri, painfully underweight and unable to use one of her front legs. Her ankle is severely swollen, frozen in place, and contracted from what appears to be an old injury that was never treated. Every step she takes is a reminder of the pain she has been forced to endure.

A local canine officer safely secured Matilda and cared for her because the small local pound was unable to comfortably accommodate a dog of her size. It also appeared that Matilda had given birth to multiple litters of puppies during her life. After years spent caring for others, she was left alone when she needed help the most. Although a nearby resident believed they knew where she came from, the suspected owners denied that she belonged to them. Her full story may never be known, but it is heartbreakingly clear that she was abandoned.

Now safe with Upper Midwest Great Dane Rescue, Matilda is finally receiving the love and compassion she has always deserved. Despite everything she has been through, she has remained incredibly gentle, affectionate, and trusting. She has settled into her foster home beautifully and is soaking up every bit of kindness she's offered.

But Matilda's journey to recovery is only beginning.

She urgently needs to see a veterinary orthopedic specialist, undergo advanced imaging to determine the extent of the damage, and receive specialized surgery. At this point, her medical team does not yet know if her leg can be repaired or if amputation will be the best option to give her a comfortable, pain free life.

Your donation will help cover Matilda's specialist consultation, diagnostic imaging, surgery, medications, follow up care, spay, and vaccinations.

After everything Matilda has endured, she deserves the chance to leave her pain behind and finally experience the happy, healthy future she's been waiting for. Please consider making a donation to help give this sweet girl the second chance she so deserves.

8/1/26 Update

As Matilda underwent her veterinary evaluation, her medical team uncovered additional concerns that no one was expecting.

In addition to the severe orthopedic issues affecting her front leg, veterinarians discovered an abdominal mass, a possible mammary tumor, and that Matilda is anemic. Right now, her doctors are focused on keeping her comfortable, managing her pain, and closely monitoring her bloodwork in hopes that her anemia will improve enough for surgery.

Matilda's front leg has likely never functioned normally, either because of a birth defect or an injury she suffered very early in life. Because Great Danes carry most of their weight on their front limbs, relying almost entirely on one healthy front leg for so long has placed tremendous strain on the rest of her body. That extra stress is now affecting her remaining front leg as well as her spine, making her mobility even more challenging.

If her bloodwork improves as hoped, Matilda is expected to undergo exploratory abdominal surgery during the second week of August. This procedure will help her veterinary team determine the cause of the abdominal mass and develop the best treatment plan for her moving forward.

Despite everything she's facing, Matilda hasn't lost her gentle spirit. She continues to greet everyone with kindness, soaking up affection and reminding everyone around her just how resilient she is.

Her road to recovery has become longer than anyone anticipated, but Upper Midwest Great Dane Rescue is committed to giving her every chance at a comfortable, happy future.

Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared Matilda's story, and kept her in your thoughts. Your support is helping provide the specialized care she needs as her team works to uncover answers and give this sweet girl the second chance she deserves.

8/9/26 Update

We don’t have a new medical update to share on Matilda just yet, but we did recently get a small glimpse of her life in the care of Upper Midwest Great Dane Rescue.

Matilda received some new presents, including a comfortable bed and toys of her own. They may seem like simple things, but for a dog who was found abandoned, severely underweight, struggling to walk, and facing multiple serious medical concerns, having a soft place to rest and a few things to call her own means a little more.

Matilda’s last evaluation revealed that her medical situation was far more complicated than originally expected. In addition to the severe orthopedic condition affecting her front leg, her vets discovered an abdominal mass, a possible mammary tumor, and anemia. Her medical team is closely monitoring her bloodwork while working to determine when she will be stable enough to move forward with additional procedures.

Her new bed and toys don’t erase the serious challenges she is facing, but they can make the difficult days a little more comfortable.

Thank you to everyone who has donated to Matilda’s fundraiser so far and has helped make her care possible. With multiple medical concerns requiring veterinary attention, Matilda’s journey is far from simple, and your support continues to be incredibly important.

We hope to have more information about her medical progress soon. In the meantime, thank you for continuing to stand behind Matilda as she faces whatever comes next.

8/14/26 Update

We have some wonderful news to share about Matilda! She is home, and her first surgery went smoothly!

One of the biggest concerns was a possible mass that had been discovered during her earlier evaluation. Thankfully, there is now some very reassuring news: no mass was found, and there is no cancer.

Instead, it was determined that one of Matilda’s kidneys is slightly enlarged and positioned higher in her abdomen than expected. This will need to be monitored moving forward, but everyone is incredibly relieved that the frightening possibility of cancer has been ruled out.

There is more good news, too. Her bloodwork and anemia are improving with regular meals and proper nutrition, and she continues to get stronger as her body recovers.

And while Matilda has been recovering, she has made a very special new friend named Six!

There may be quite a size difference between the two, but that certainly hasn’t stopped them from becoming best buddies. Six may be tiny, but she has a big personality and has no problem keeping up with Matilda. The two spend their days playing together, sharing toys, curling up in the same bed, and keeping each other company.

Six has even figured out that climbing onto the recliner gives her a little height advantage during playtime! Watching their friendship develop has been such a sweet part of Matilda’s recovery, and having a little companion around seems to be making her time at home that much more enjoyable.

There are still some decisions to be made about what comes next for Matilda’s leg and a few of her other medical needs, so her journey isn’t over just yet. For now, though, she is back home where she belongs, resting comfortably, enjoying her new bed, toys, and treats, and spending plenty of time with her new best friend

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, shared Matilda’s fundraiser, sent something special, or simply followed along and rooted for her. Your support is helping make each step of her recovery possible, and we’ll continue to share updates as her veterinary team determines what comes next.