Mary Puppins did not have an easy start to life. Unloved, terrified, and with an illness that could easily have killed her, Mary very nearly didn’t make it through her first year.

But thanks to generous donations from the community, we had the skills, equipment and capacity needed to to give Mary Puppins the best chance at life.

“Mary Puppins was absolutely petrified of people when she first arrived at our shelter,” remembered Mandy Doolan, Adoption Centre Manager at Lort Smith Campbellfield.

Our trainers worked on building Mary’s confidence and restoring her faith in humans. Over time, fearful Mary began to show her loving, playful side and soon became a firm favourite at the Adoption Centre. “We watched her blossom,” Mandy said. “It was really special to see.”

But on New Year’s Eve, Mary’s triumph almost turned to tragedy. She began vomiting, became extremely lethargic, and was off her food. Her foster carer rushed her to the Lort Smith Animal Hospital for help.

Thankfully, our vets had on-site access to sophisticated diagnostic facilities and equipment, including pathology and X-ray machines, that enabled them to determine the source of her pain: Mary Puppins was suffering from an obstructed intestine – a condition that could easily have become fatal.

Surgeons performed an enterotomy to remove the blockage and, while doing so, found that Mary’s intestines were inflamed, and grey in colour: she was in very grave danger of peritonitis, a potentially deadly infection of the abdomen. Mary was moved to the ICU.

When we look back over Mary’s story, the work of Lort Smith and its supporters is evident every step of the way. Working together, our vets, shelter staff, volunteers and supporters were able to firstly protect her, then house her, and ultimately heal her.

Two months after her ordeal, Mary Puppins was adopted into a loving new home, and instantly bonded with her new sibling, a boisterous chocolate labrador. She is now living what can only be described as her best life.

Mary Puppins’ story could very easily have had a different ending, were it not for the extraordinary care of the Lort Smith staff and volunteers, and the abundant generosity of everyone who donated.