Volunteers Raise Enough Money To Save Rescue Puppy's Life

LONGMONT, CO — A rescue puppy named Chaco will now undergosurgery after countless people donated money to save his life. Chaco was diagnosed with a medical condition that would've led to heart failure, his Longmont foster home said. Volunteers launched a fundraiser for the more than $5,000 that's required for surgery to fix the pup's heart. Any extra money will go to helping other rescue pets, the volunteers said.

Sara Woo organized the fundraiser on behalf of RezDawg Rescue Inc., an organization that rescues stray, feral and abandoned pets that are struggling to survive on Native American reservations in the Four Corners region. The rescued animals are then vaccinated, spayed/neutered, treated for any medical issues and placed into a foster home.

Chaco, affectionately nicknamed "Taco" in his foster home, was rescued from New Mexico.

"Chaco taco was a 5lb mangey puppy with rickets that he quickly grew out of," Woo said on the pup's GoFundMe page. "We took Chaco taco to CSU veterinary hospital where he was diagnosed with patentductus arteriosus, aortic stenosis, mitral valvedysplasia and ventricular ectopy."

"Without surgery, Chaco taco will live a short life with restrictions, and his condition will lead to heart failure," Woo said.

Like all puppies, Chaco just wanted to play all the time, but his heart condition wouldn't allow it. Now the pup has a real chance of living a full, happy life.

Chaco's surgery is scheduled for Jan. 7, and he will then spend a few weeks in recovery.

Chaco's medical team is "confident that with surgery he will live a longer life and should have the opportunity to be a normal happy dog," Woo said.

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