Starfish was just 10 weeks old when she was found abandoned on Alameda’s Crown Beach, California, in a beer box. This German Shepherd puppy had no ability to stand or walk, but only lie down. She looked like a starfish, so they named her ‘Starfish’.
However, we have seen many times that nothing is actually impossible to a willing heart. This brave puppy teaches us once again that with enough resilience and perseverance, anything can be achieved.
This is her story of how she managed to escape death and teach herself not only how to walk, but how to run as well.
Beating The Odds
When Starfish was brought to the emergency veterinarian, her chances of survival were very slim. The vet said that she had malformed organs, and he actually advised euthanasia since there was little to no hope that she would ever overcome this birth defect.
But, something about this puppy screamed differently. She was just too happy and loving. Everyone could see that there was a clear spark of life in her.
Thankfully, the shelter decided to get a second opinion. That’s when they discovered that she had something called swimmer’s syndrome… a puzzling condition that prevents puppies from walking. Luckily, it was something that was absolutely curable.
It was great news, but Starfish still had a bumpy road ahead. To overcome this syndrome, she needed a lot of surgeries and physical therapy. It was a lot, but this adorable little puppy never gave up.
Just two days before the first operation, Starfish got her foster family as well. A 12-year-old girl, Maggie, had signed up to be a foster for the Alameda Animal Shelter in California, and when she received a notification about Starfish, she immediately fell in love.
“When we got introduced to her, she was just the most precious thing in the entire world. She looked like a little teddy bear, and she was just flat — like a pancake.”
“It didn’t really matter to me that she was unable to walk. I didn’t hold back from loving her all the way!”, says Maggie.
Maggie and her family eventually decided to adopt Starfish, even though it required a lot of care and sacrifice.
“Those first couple of days, we were very, very close. We spent all of our time together because… she didn’t have much say in it. She couldn’t exactly walk away,” Maggie says, laughing.
From Being Paralyzed To Running On The Beach
The first on the list was the hernia operation, and then came intensive therapy. They needed to realign her limbs and then gradually help her rebuild her muscle strength, and teach her how to support herself.
Every day, she would go to physical therapy, doing a lot of rehabilitation and exercise. Maggie was fully involved and doing everything she could to help her.
“I got a towel, and I wrapped it around her torso. I just picked her up right off the ground. She started to wag her legs around and go crazy because she felt like she was doing it.”
It started with water therapy and using a bolster to stand up, and then came obstacle course training. She was soon able to walk on the stairs and even cross the whole lawn all by herself.
“I don’t even know how she did it. She just kept on trying, over and over again!”
“She had no fear, and she just had this constant will. It never occurred to her to stop”, says Maggie’s mom in the video.
One year later, this brave puppy was able to walk and run just like any other “normal” German Shepherd dog.
Starfish even learned to run on the sand, but seeing all her achievements, I don’t think anything is impossible for this good girl.
“It’s kind of ironic because she had swimmer puppy syndrome, and now she’s swimming in the water”, comments Maggie.
Now, Starfish belongs to a loving family – the Grays. They stood by her through it all. She is big, beautiful, active, and most importantly, healthy.
She loves to play with kids, and Pearl, the cat – she loves face scratches, tennis balls, running and jumping, and chasing squirrels.
“Starfish is just in love with life, really. It’s impossible to be around her and not just to see it, but to feel it. She just wants to live, and doesn’t care about the obstacles… if we all had that kind of attitude, the world would be a completely and totally different place”, the parents say.
This beautiful dog has become an inspiration to many people all around the world. She taught us all that everything is possible if you work hard and believe in yourself, and hopefully this article was able to convey this message to you.
As a tribute to Starfish, FAAS named its emergency medical fund after her. Over the years, the Starfish Fund has helped many animals in need, and you can, too, if you decide to support this noble cause.
