A dog rehabilitated by Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS) has gone on to Internet fame. The latest coverage of the German shepherd, named Starfish, is in the just-released The Dodo mini-documentary, "The Puppy Who Wasn't Supposed to Walk." The Dodo is the biggest animal-related site on the Internet, featuring heart-warming videos and stories about animals that often face overwhelming odds to survive.
Starfish was abandoned on Alameda's Crown Beach two years ago. She couldn't stand or walk due to a birth defect called swimmer puppy's syndrome. Alameda Animal Control Officer Alaina Onesko rescued the 10-week-old puppy and took her to the animal shelter, where the staff was told by a veterinarian that the condition was terminal. FAAS found out the puppy had an excellent chance at a normal life after seeking a second opinion.
Starfish underwent several operations and months of intensive physical therapy. She can now stand, walk and even run like a normal dog. She is an active and beloved member of her new family, the Grays, who fostered her during treatment and eventually adopted her, renaming her Rose.
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FAAS, Alameda's only animal shelter, paid for Starfish's treatment through donations to its emergency medical fund, the Angel Fund. Last year the fund was renamed the Starfish Fund after its most memorable recipient.
If you would like to help FAAS save other homeless Alameda pets that arrive at the shelter needing critical medical attention, please consider making a donation to FAAS's Starfish Fund.