A heart-breaking back story of little Juniper

Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.

A few weeks before Thanksgiving, on a cold and breezy day, a Jefferson County man noticed a small puppy following his bike as he rode it down the street. He pulled in at a Dollar General, and decided to buy her a small bag of dog chow. The little dog was shy, but friendly, and followed him into the warm store. But when he had finished buying his groceries, the little puppy did not follow him back into the parking lot. In fact, no amount of coaxing or calling could get the stubborn puppy to follow him, so the man took a piece of thin rope and tied it around her neck in order to lead her along. Still she refused to accompany him, and the man pulled harder, eventually dragging her toward the entrance of the store. Not impressed, the puppy dug in her heels and absolutely refused to budge, even when the rope's knot pulled tightly against her throat. Annoyed, the man dropped the rope and left the puppy behind, abandoning the small bag of dog chow as well as he went along the rest of his day. The puppy gingerly sniffed around the store, before curling up in a ball and falling asleep on aisle 21.
A worker came into the store on her day off to pick up snacks for her kids on their way to enjoy a fun day out, when she met the little puppy. She was greeted with licks and tail wags that were cautious but friendly, and immediately, she cut away the tightly knotted rope from the puppy's neck, bought a harness and leash for her and took her to a friend's home, who agreed to foster the thin, mild-mannered girl until a home could be found.
The first few days in the new foster home were a lot to take in. The fosters named the puppy Juniper, and introduced her slowly and carefully to the resident dogs, Bones and Ru. Juniper was not thrilled at first, snarling and whining loudly as she cowered tensely, and both Bones and Ru, despite their larger sizes, were terrified of the little monster that had been brought to their home, hiding behind their owners cautiously. Covered in scuffs and half-healed scars, it seemed that poor Juniper had had a couple of unpleasant run-ins with dogs before, and she was not keen on being hurt again. Ru and Bones, however, had no interest in harming her, and with careful introduction it wasn't long at all before even the sight of her new temporary siblings brought a little wiggle to the tip of her tail.
Play was prohibited, as Juniper was smaller than Bones and Ru, and her fosters didn't want anyone getting injured. Juniper showed signs of nutritional setbacks, and had splayed back legs and not a lot of strength for any running or playing. She seemed weak, and was content to sleep, and stretch out on the couch. Good food and a healthy routine would fix that in time, and Juniper was encouraged to take her time.
The days passed, and Juniper soon came alive, turning into a playful and cuddly puppy as soon as she realized that her belly was always full and her environment was friendly and warm. But her fosters noticed that while her progress was notable, something still wasn't quite right. Juniper walked with her head down, and seemed unable to lift her head upright. She began pawing at her food and water bowls, spilling the contents and whining. She begged for treats, but if a treat was placed on the floor she would immediately lose interest. She stepped gingerly down the short steps of the porch and was slow and methodical about stepping up onto the low couch cushions.
Careful hands of her fosters searched her body gently for larger scars or potential injuries that had been unnoticed. Juniper was thin, so some bones were understandably prominent, but one of her bones along her spine seemed to stick out farther than the others, and something about it seemed not quite right. Juniper was due later in the week for her spay appointment, and during her visit, her fosters requested an x-ray of her spine to be taken, and described all of the strange behaviors they had noticed to the vet.
Juniper's spay surgery went smoothly, and the vet reported that the x-rays showed a “significant event” had occurred to Juniper's spine, saying that the bone that stuck out in a seemingly odd way was actually perfectly normal, but what made it look and feel abnormal was that there should have been another vertebrae right behind it, and there wasn't. X-rays showed the bones in Juniper's back had been broken some time ago, and it was a miracle that the untreated injury had not paralyzed her or affected her greatly.
The fosters asked about surgery and what this all would mean for the future for Juniper. The vet reassured them that surgery was actually not recommended, as the injury had already undergone a great deal of healing, the bones already fused. It should be expected, the vet said, that Juniper should have a raised bowl to relieve any discomfort while eating, and should not be permitted to indulge in heavy play or rough-housing. The fosters received copies of her record and x-rays, and were given some medication for pain that Juniper should take as needed. The vet recommended giving her another full month of limited play and calm surroundings to ensure that the fused bones could have plenty of time to calcify and strengthen, and that she just needed time to heal completely, and then the tough little lady might be up for anything!
Over the following few weeks, the fosters learned that Juniper would definitely let them know if she was having a bad day, as her ears would lie flat, and her demeanor would become forlorn and depressed as she sought a lap to comfort her. However, “ears up” meant it was a good day, and Juniper enjoyed peanut butter bones, gentle play with soft toys or sunning in the yard. The good days were often, and the bad days were mercifully becoming fewer and fewer as time went on. Even with her continued progress, however, the tragedy of her experiences were still prevalent; her days of hunger easy to trace in her still-showing bones even as she slowly gained weight, her behavior still skittish around loud or sudden sounds and certain situations, like door frames, hallways and leashes, although every day she became braver. Her many naps were often accompanied by quiet whining and the occasional yelp, and one might wonder how much of her injury and past life she remembered; being cold, alone and hungry as she curled up in the woods, wracked with pain from her broken bones. Is that what she dreamed of, that caused her to whimper so?
In spite of everything this little puppy has been put through in her short life, she is full of spunk and a zeal for life. She is so excited to get treats, and to go out on walks. For her fosters, she was polite on a leash, and required only gentle direction. She eagerly approached new people, a little wiggle in her tail, even when she had every right to shy away; no one would blame her. But she is such a trooper, so bold and brave and goofy. This girl has only just begun to enjoy life.
And in the midst of her recovery, her journey has only gotten brighter! On Saturday, Dec. 18, Juniper was taken to an adoption event and caught the eye of a couple, Daniela and her husband Arie, who had lost their own dog, McNabb, a year before. They had attended the adoption event in the hopes of meeting a few puppies who had been listed as attending the event, but the puppies had already been adopted before the couple could meet them. “We were disappointed,” said Daniela, “But then in walked Cay with this puppy.” Although the couple had not completely planned on taking home anyone that day, it had been something they had considered. They walked around with Juniper for a while to get to know her, and decided that she would be a good addition to their family. “She was cute, and was the right size,” Daniela remembers, “So we decided to take her home.”
Juniper has been given a new name, Meeka, which she has already accepted and responds to. She is getting used to her new home and is reportedly very brave. Her fear and uncertainty is fading as she becomes playful and boisterous. “She is a handful!” says Daniela, “She is full of courage and is not as timid as she was.” She is very playful and her family is working closely with her to train her to have good manners. It would seem as if her previous injury no longer holds her back in the slightest, and she enjoys running after toys and playing.
And so, a heartbreaking beginning for Juniper led to a happy ending for Meeka, as she enjoys her new life with her new family. For one little puppy with a broken back, the world just got a whole lot bigger.