Rescuing a Dog From a Puppy Mill Was the Hardest Thing I've Ever Done

After they rescued her, she went to the groomer for her first real bath.

A few weeks before we were set to pick up Vichy from SFO Airport, we got an email from the rescue agency telling us that our little pup had heartworm but was being treated for it. We had no idea that that was only the tip of the iceberg. Within the first year, Fleetwood (we named her after our favorite drummer) had two surgeries to remove a cancerous tumor we found on her mammary gland, three root canals, and nine tooth extractions.

Thank God we had the wherewithal to get pet insurance.