Help Save Aurora, An Amazing Shepherd Puppy!

Please help us save sweet little Aurora! She is in need of two full hip operations so she can live a normal life. She was born with both of them not correctly even in the socket. Scott Hardy and Christine Hardy-Hayes at the Hardy-Hayes Refuge have committed to try to save her but we need your help fundraising. We do not want to have to put her down just because we can't afford to help her. We babysat her for 2 days and completely fell in love. Please read her amazing bio written by her medical foster Natalie Hayden. Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.

Meet Aurora! Aurora is a stunningly tiny german shepherd at 6 months and 27 pounds. Vets are not sure why she is failing to reach the size of a standard GSD, but all agree that she’s adorable because of it.

Aurora came into the shelter horribly deformed and unable to effectively, or comfortably, walk or stand due to what we believe is a combination of a severe case of rickets and poor genetics/breeding. Despite the neglect and discomfort Aurora experienced from a young age, she is so full of life, love, and joy. She gobbles her vitamins before she eats her food, as if she knows how important they are to her body and rises after every tumble to try again.

My daughter, 12-year-old Avery, has a soft spot for the creatures who struggle the most and instantly took Aurora under her wing and into her heart. She ensures Aurora gets every vitamin and encourages her to exercise and practice getting around. She takes Aurora with her when she is working on schoolwork and when she heads outside to do her chores. She also includes Aurora in her play whenever possible. Because of this, Aurora loves children and being involved with her family’s activities and is Avery’s shadow and protector (just as shepherds were intended to be, even the tiny ones).

Aurora can be shy with new people at first, but warms right up after she is shown some love. She has been raised around dogs (large and small), cats, chickens, peacocks, ducks, horses, and goats. She does well for car rides and is crate trained. Aurora sees her crate as a safe and comfortable place to be and will often put herself in her crate when she comes inside, when she thinks she’s in trouble, or when she’s ready to have some peace and quiet. She waits patiently for her love, attention, and food, she alerts when something is new or threatening. She is brave and takes her job as protector seriously. Aurora also loves toys, treats, and to play in water. We are still working on potty training, but she is smart and eager to please.

The thing I have grown to love most about Aurora is not her tiny size, her gorgeous face, or her goofy antics, but her spirit which never seems to dim or diminish. Every day I am left in awe at the resilience of her soul; her ability to experience so much pain, injustice, and hardship while still finding joy in EVERYTHING.

I truly believe Aurora can live a full and happy life, despite her challenges. I truly believe that she can add so much joy and love to a family, if given the chance to do so.

I also truly appreciate the difficulty of that outcome given her ailments and given my experience in working in a shelter where good dogs that are perfectly healthy sit for weeks or months to ultimately never find that happy ending.

So, I am moving forward optimistically and keeping my thoughts positive that she will continue to persevere and defy the odds because I truly believe that she is worth it and that this world is a better place with her in it, spreading her love, life, joy, and positivity.