The Great Dane duo who beat the odds: Martha and Rosa’s Story
21 January 2025
Martha and Rosa were two very unwell Great Dane puppies who were signed into our care (separately) in the Autumn of 2023, after their new owners sadly couldn’t afford to continue their treatment.
Rosa was signed into our care through the vets – who confirmed that she was suffering from a shoulder abscess, a potential previous fracture, as well as a high temperature of 40.5 and signs of malnourishment. She then spent weeks in foster care with a vet nurse who dedicated her time to rehabilitating Rosa, until she was ready to stay with another fosterer for some further TLC before being cleared for adoption.
Martha was also signed over to RSPCA Norwich care at 10 weeks old because her previous owner was struggling to afford vet care, similar to Rosa. Unfortunately, she had leptospirosis, a dangerous and potentially fatal bacterial infection, and therefore had to be quarantined. Spending time in isolation meant than Martha was naturally very nervous and needed lots of love and reassurance when she went outside for the first time after becoming so ill.
Despite an extremely tough start in life and spending more time in intensive care than any puppy would wish for, both dogs made a full recovery thanks to various veterinary treatments, medication and plenty of love and care from our fosterers, veterinary staff and animal welfare team.
Now, at 1 year and 7 months old, their new owner says that Rosa is doing really well and “enjoys going on walks around national trust places and meeting new dogs and people. She likes chasing balls and playing with the tuggy toys!”
Meanwhile Martha “loves cuddles, she prefers play fighting to playing with toys. She likes to meet new people and loves learning tricks.”
Martha and Rosa might have been two of our most expensive (and fastest growing!) patients, but they were worth every penny, as they are clearly thoroughly enjoying their new life with their forever family. The Great Dane duo are a shining example of the importance of the work we do, as sadly it’s likely that neither puppy would have survived without being signed over to our care.
A huge thank you to their former fosterers and their new owner for giving them a second chance.
If you’d like to help us fund vet fees for dogs in need such as Martha and Rosa, please head over to our donation page or consider giving in memory.
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