Save Sherman: Hoboken French Bulldog Puppy Needs Help

HOBOKEN, NJ — He’s an excessively cute, 16-week old Frenchie that needs your help.

S.N.O.R.T., an all-volunteer rescue organization based in Hoboken, recently shared an update on the story of Sherman, a pet store refugee who is now “eating on his own” after a series of vet visits over the past month.

An online fundraiser has garnered almost $3,000 to help pay for the canine’s medical treatment, a godsend as “Sherman's medical bills can be crippling to a small rescue like SNORT,” according to its staff.

One of the major battles for the hard-luck puppy – who may be suffering from a congenital upper respiratory defect and possible hydrocephalus – has been keeping up his weight, SNORT staff report.

Follow his struggles and progress via the online fundraising campaign website here.

However, if recent developments are any indication, Sherman’s condition is improving, staff wrote in a July 22 update.

“The good news is the MRI showed minor congenital skull abnormalities so nothing contributing to clinical symptoms,” SNORT staff stated. “The bad news is that the exam revealed that his trachea is severely hypoplastic (extremely narrow). The specialist feels that all his clinical symptoms (dullness, lethargy, failure to thrive and congestion) are due the hypoplastic trachea. And the really bad news is that because of this, he now has aspiration pneumonia. He's on antibiotics for a month. After that, we will try meds to reduce the trachea inflammation and to increase his appetite. They also recommended a new high caloric food, which he loves and is really going to town on. Since he’s been back from the specialists, he’s drinking and eating better and he seems a tad more active. In the past month, he rarely ate on his own in the morning and needed to be syringe fed. The last two days, he’s been eating on his own, morning, noon and night. Let’s pray this continues and he starts packing on the pounds now.”

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com