SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — When a local animal shelter put out a request for donations to help fund leg surgery for a young puppy that was thrown from a car, the community responded right away.
The dog named Malin, who was rescued by South Salt Lake Animal Services after being thrown from a moving car, underwent surgery on Monday after hundreds of community members donated.
“People have completely stepped up and helped us with this,” said Kevin Hansen, an animal control officer fot the City of South Salt Lake. "Our phones have not stopped ringing.”
The staff of just four people worked as fast as they could to gather all the donations.
“Here in South Salt Lake, we don’t have a budget for medical reasons like this,” Hansen said. "The vet called and wanted to know what to do. Their first instinct was to euthanize the dog because of the amount of damage."
There was no shortage of community support with people donating online, over the phone, and people streaming through the door.
"It was my daughter who saw it, and when we heard they were having people looking to come in, she said, 'Dad, you need to go,'" said James Curtis Jr.
Donors can also contribute online, and the shelter says any donations exceeding Malin's surgery costs will go to the SSL Animal Services Emergency Vet Fund for similar needs in the future.
Malin went into surgery around 11 a.m. Around 12:30 p.m., there was an announcement in the lobby.
“She is out of surgery," one of the officers said, "and she is doing amazing.”
The 2-month-old pup will make almost a full recovery and might have a little limp, but with a name like "Malin" — which means "strong warrior" — this little one is going to be just fine.
The shelter said Malin appears to be a long-haired Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix.
Many people have volunteered or inquired about adopting Malin, but the shelter said it has to keep any dog they receive on a "stray hold" for five days if it's not microchipped.
“None of us are really sad about it because she is getting the best care possible,” Hansen said.
“I love it," another staff member at the shelter said. "You get those good days and those bad days, but seeing the amount of support... one bad thing happens, and a million good things come after it.”
