Top 10 Happy Tails of 2022: Meet Frankie!
As 2022 comes to a close, we're taking a look back at all of the lives that we’ve saved thanks to your support. Today begins our Top 10 Happy Tails of 2022 — each story is remarkable in their own way and are examples of the heart of our Muddy Paws Pack community. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we’ve loved all of these special pups.
Today’s Happy Tail is Frankie!
Frankie (formerly known as Captain Marvel) and her fluffy brothers Thor and Wolverine arrived in our care in April - Little did we know, shortly after their arrival, these fluffy pups would need to channel the strength of each of their superhero namesakes to overcome a serious and complex case of parvovirus.
Frankie spent nearly two weeks in and out of the hospital fighting the toughest battle of them all. Despite her medical bills exceeding $30,000, Frankie and her siblings emerged healthy and quickly found loving families.
In a very unexpected bonus twist - Frankie’s foster, Tara, and her two resident pups, Dolly and Penny, formed an extra-special bond with the young pup. Tara suspected that Dolly seemed more attached to Frankie than any of her previous fosters, and eventually learned that Dolly and Frankie are actually related - possibly half siblings through a DNA test! Talk about kismet.
Frankie’s journey to recovery caught the eye of Adam, who followed along and knew he had to meet her as soon as she was ready to be adopted.
Below, Adam reflects on Frankie’s journey, and how she’s doing these days:
My partner and I have followed the Muddy Paws Instagram account for a few years. Back in the spring we saw a story of three adorable puppy siblings who were fighting to win a battle with Parvo—Thor, Wolverine, and Captain Marvel. Back then we didn’t know much about the virus. But, after closely following their story, we’d come to learn how life-threatening it can be for young puppies.
As soon as we heard the pups had overcome parvo and were ready for a “furever home”, we knew we had to reach out to see if we’d be able to make Captain Marvel a part of our family. When we got the call back to meet her, we couldn't believe it. Would we actually be coming home with a dog?
When we arrived at Muddy Paws we were excited and nervous, wondering if today would be the day. As soon as Captain Marvel came through the door in her foster Tara’s arms, we knew the answer. We sat on the floor to meet her and she confidently pranced straight over to us and flopped into my lap, asking for a good belly rub—which, we’d come to learn, is her absolute favorite pastime. She was perfect, and we felt so incredibly grateful to Muddy Paws for saving the life of this incredible, little—now giant—dog.
Adopting Frankie, as she’s now named, has changed our lives. Every morning we’re greeted by a big stretch and a wiggly dance before she flops over and puts her belly into the air ready for scratching—her patented “Frankie Flop” as we call it. Raising a puppy has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences. She’s taught us patience, the benefits of waking up early for a brisk walk, how to be good teachers, and so much more. From her obsession of playing with blueberries and ice cubes to her need to say hello to every person and dog we see, she’s an absolute bundle of joy who’s enriched our lives an immeasurable amount.
Muddy Paws saved the life of our one-of-a-kind companion. It would have been a great misfortune for such a special individual to not be given the chance to fight through Parvo. We’re extremely grateful to Muddy Paws, her foster Tara, and the generous donors who gave her that chance and saved her life. Our lives are brighter with her in it, as is the day of anyone fortunate enough to be greeted by her tremendous spirit as she flops on the ground next to them kindly requesting a good belly rub.
