METHUEN — Two Chihuahuas from Lawrence have a lot to be thankful for today.
One of the dogs, a 6-pound 2-year-old named Princess has a Grade 5 out of 6 heart murmur, and veterinarians will perform lifesaving surgery on her today. The other dog, who is believed to be about 12 and is named Gandhi because of his passiveness, has put on at least a pound since being found starving in a Dumpster at a construction site along Oxford Street in Lawrence on Aug. 13.
Staff at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at Nevins Farm in Methuen are taking care of both dogs.
Mike Keiley, director of the Noble Family Animal Care and Adoption Center at the MSPCA, said Gandhi was found in a Dumpster that was too high for him to have climbed into, meaning that someone likely put him in there as if he was garbage.
An animal control officer and a group of concerned children who noticed him wandering around the neighborhood for about a week saved him. The aging pooch is now receiving medical attention at the MSPCA for starvation, dehydration and severe hair loss.
Somebody from Lawrence left Princess with a volunteer at the MSPCA at the beginning of August.
With her playfulness and big, brown Bambi eyes, Princess quickly won the hearts of the MSPCA staff. Keiley is fostering the dog himself. He could tell that something was wrong with her heart by putting his hand on her chest and feeling strong vibrations.
Staff vets detected the heart murmur and immediately recommended a consultation with a heart specialist at MSPCA-Angell in Boston. Dr. Rebecca Quinn, a cardiologist at Angell Animal Medical Center, determined Princess needed surgery to have a chance at a normal life.
"Had we not looked into it, she would have died within a year," Keiley said. "Now, she'll live to be an old lady."
Complicating the surgery is the fact that Princess is so small. Doctors hope to perform a noninvasive procedure using a catheter that will be inserted through an artery in her leg to close the abnormal connection between her aorta and pulmonary artery.
"This is one of the smallest dogs they've done this on, so there's a question about whether they can do it," Keiley said.
Surgeons might need to open her chest to tie off the connective blood vessel.
The procedure will cost $5,000 to $6,000, which is well worth it, Keiley said.
"She's probably one of the most fun foster dogs I've ever had," he said. "She'll give back to somebody else tenfold."
Princess doesn't have accidents in the house, and she gets along with Keiley's three cats and bulldog. She also likes humans.
"She's always up at the front of the kennel looking for people," said Heather Robertson, community outreach coordinator at the MSPCA.
Help Princess and Gandhi
The nonprofit MSPCA is raising money to cover the cost of helping both animals. To donate, visit mspca.org/nevinsgift or mail checks to:
MSPCA at Nevins Farm
400 Broadway
Methuen, MA 01844
