A Maine elementary school is rallying to give a beloved service dog a new leash on life.
Ory, a 16-month-old professional pup who works in the Willard School’s special education department, was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, degenerative hips, and torn ACLs in both knees, according to WMTW.
Ory works with special needs students at the school, helping to calm them during moments of emotional turmoil.
Now the Sanford community is pitching in to help fund the three surgeries that are needed to get her back in the classroom.
“Ory has had a rough go of it as she has already had ectopic ureter surgery in the fall and has recovered well from it,” a GoFundMe page aiming to raise $ 20,000 for the dog reads.
“The [hip] surgery] will ensure Ory [lives] a long, healthy and fulfilling life free from pain,” Jess Jones, an Ed Tech at the Willard School, wrote.
By Thursday night, more than three quarters of the funds had been raised, and a paw-fect ending was in sight.
“Ory will be meeting with her surgeon on Monday for a consultation,” an update from the grateful organizer read.
“She’s only 16 months and she deserves that opportunity to have a great life. The vet said her life will be amazing once this is done and dealt with,” Christen Suratt, a teacher who works with Ory, told the local station.