Simba had an 11-inch stick lodged in his esophagus.

Meet Simba, a tiny doodle puppy whose courage has already defied the odds. His rescue began with a terrifying discovery—Simba had a bone stuck in his throat, and his little body was shutting down. The farm he came from was prepared to euthanize him because of this.

By the time RBARI reached him, Simba needed emergency hospitalization and an extremely delicate life-saving surgery.

Without immediate intervention, he would not have survived. When the veterinarians began the procedure, the reality was even worse than anyone imagined.

They found an 11-inch stick lodged all the way from his esophagus down into his stomach—an impossibly large object for such a small puppy to endure. On top of that, they removed chicken bones from his stomach, adding to the danger he had been silently suffering through for more than a week. Because of the excellent care he received, Simba made it through surgery. He is now in recovery at the hospital, finally experiencing relief after unimaginable pain. He’s beginning to wag his tail again, to lift his head, to discover what comfort feels like.

Simba’s emergency care saved his life; however, it came at no small cost.

Dogs like Simba can only be saved when people like you choose to fight for them.

Simba is now searching for a foster-to-adopt home, a place where he’ll know safety and love instead of fear and suffering. His future is bright—but only if we can continue providing the care he needs.