Every Rib Tells a Story — Help Mina Rewrite Hers

This Is Houston was contacted by a local shelter about a tiny stray dog whose body told a devastating story. When our team arrived at the shelter, we found a little girl who should have been solid, wiggly, and full of life. Instead, she was barely able to lift her head. We named her Mina.

Mina is only about 3 years old and weighs just 17 pounds. Every single bone is visible. She is so weak she struggles to stand on her own. This didn’t happen overnight — her body shows the signs of prolonged suffering. And yet, despite everything, she is gentle. She leans in. She is still trying.

Two of our team members rushed her straight to the emergency room, where she remained hospitalized through the weekend.

Her bloodwork paints a heartbreaking picture of how long she’s been fighting:

• Severe anemia

• Pancreatitis

• Critically low protein levels

• Low calcium

• Electrolyte imbalances

• Refusing food because she felt so sick

• So emaciated that even x-rays were difficult to interpret due to lack of body fat

She received IV fluids and around-the-clock care. An ultrasound thankfully ruled out major GI obstruction concerns, which was one small piece of good news in a sea of worry.

Mina is now in a foster home, resting and beginning the slow process of refeeding and stabilization. She has follow-up appointments scheduled to monitor her bloodwork closely. She needs prescription food, medications, continued diagnostics, and ongoing veterinary care to safely rebuild her body.

The road ahead is not short. Rebuilding a body that has been starved for this long must be done carefully to avoid refeeding complications. Every lab recheck, every special diet bag, every medication adds up quickly. But Mina deserves the chance to feel strong. She deserves to feel full. She deserves to know comfort and safety.

If you can donate toward her medical care, it will go directly to giving this sweet girl a future. If you can’t donate, sharing her story or sending good thoughts truly matters more than you know. Right now, Mina is still fighting. Let’s fight for her.

2/27/26 Update

When we first met Mina, every bone in her tiny body told the story of prolonged suffering. At just 17 pounds, she was too weak to stand, too sick to eat, and far too fragile for a 3-year-old dog who should have been full of life.

Today, we are holding onto something beautiful: progress. Mina is slowly and carefully gaining weight. Her refeeding plan has been gradual and closely monitored to protect her from complications, and her body is responding. Her ribs are no longer jutting out as sharply as they once did. There is the faintest layer of softness beginning to return — something she hasn’t had in a very long time.

She is also gaining strength. She moves a little more each day. She has more stamina. And perhaps the most healing sight of all: Mina sleeping deeply and peacefully in her fluffy bed in her foster home. For the first time, she looks at ease. Safe. Comfortable enough to truly rest.

Her recovery is still ongoing. She continues to need prescription food, medications, and routine bloodwork to monitor her anemia, protein levels, and pancreatitis. Rebuilding a body after prolonged starvation is not quick or simple — it requires patience, precision, and consistent veterinary oversight.

But Mina is fighting. And now, she’s not fighting alone. If you’re able, please consider donating to support her continued care. Every lab recheck, every bag of specialized food, and every follow-up visit helps ensure that her progress continues safely.

She deserved to be solid and wiggly and full of life from the start. With your help, we’re finally getting her there. Please donate or share Mina’s story. The softness returning to her body is proof that compassion works.

3/13/26 Update

We’re so happy to share some great news about Mina!

Thanks to the support and care she has received, Mina has been doing wonderfully. She still has a few pounds left to gain, but she has made incredible progress in her recovery. The most exciting update? Mina is now fully mobile! She’s walking around confidently and exploring her surroundings more every day. One of her newest challenges is learning how to master the stairs, and she’s working hard to figure them out like a pro.

Even more exciting, Mina’s journey toward her forever home has already begun. Our adoptions team has been reviewing applications, and she recently went to a local family for a meet & greet. It’s such a special moment to see her getting closer to the loving home she deserves.

Your support helped give Mina the chance to heal, regain her strength, and start this next chapter. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has donated and shared her story so far.

We’re still raising funds to help cover Mina’s veterinary care and continued recovery, and every donation truly makes a difference. If you’re able, please consider contributing to help ensure Mina receives everything she needs as she continues gaining strength and preparing for her forever home. Thank you for standing with Mina and helping give her the happy future she deserves.

4/9/26 Update

When Mina first came to us, she was barely able to lift her head. Her tiny body showed the heartbreaking effects of prolonged starvation, and we didn’t know how long her road to recovery would be. But thanks to compassionate supporters like you, Mina’s story has become one of resilience, healing, and hope.

Today, we are thrilled to share that Mina is doing great. She has continued to gain strength, her weight is improving, and her gentle personality shines brighter every single day. The little girl who once struggled to stand is now comfortable, mobile, and enjoying the safety and love of her foster home. Even more exciting — Mina should be starting an adoption trial soon. This is the moment we have all been hoping for: the chance for her to step into a forever home and begin the life she always deserved.

Before that, she has one more milestone ahead. Mina is scheduled to be spayed next week, an important step in ensuring her long-term health and preparing her for adoption. Once she’s recovered, she’ll be ready to move forward into her new chapter.

It’s hard to believe this is the same fragile dog who arrived so weak and emaciated. Because of you, Mina now knows full meals, soft beds, gentle hands, and the promise of belonging. You helped transform her story from survival to stability — and now, to a future filled with love.

Thank you to everyone who donated, shared, and cheered Mina on. Your compassion gave her the chance she desperately needed. We can’t wait to share more as she begins her adoption trial and, hopefully, finds her forever home very soon.