This Dog Had a Tumor So Large He Couldn’t Lift His Head—Now He’s Living a New Life
A dog named Shaq was rescued from the streets of Thailand after being found in immense discomfort due to a massive tumor hanging from his neck. The tumor was so large that Shaq struggled to hold his head up or walk, and it was clear to his rescuers that urgent intervention was needed to save his life. (Watch video above)
Following two critical surgeries to remove the tumor and address severe damage to his neck, Shaq began his journey to recovery. Now, just months later, he is thriving with a new lease on life. His remarkable transformation and newfound ability to run and play again are nothing short of heartwarming.
Shaq Was Unable to Walk
Niall Harbison is founder of Happy Doggo, an organization whose mission is to improve the lives of stray dogs everywhere through feeding and providing emergency care to those in desperate need. He has lived and worked in Thailand since 2018, where more than 700,000 dogs live on the streets and because of lack of sterilization for the animals.
Niall said that locals alerted him to a dog that was in serious need of help in October 2023. He found Shaq, in extreme pain and unable to walk, and knew that the huge tumor on his neck was slowly killing him. “The tumor was dragging him down in life both physically and mentally. It was growing by the day and he was on the way out.” He also had bad anemia and tick fever. Hundreds of blood sucking ticks were in his ears. He was very ill.
Niall and his team got Shaq to the safety of his rescue center, and began working to get him ready for the life saving surgeries he would need to try to save him.
It Was A Risky Surgery
Niall had been working with vets to try to drain the tumor, which weighed down Shaq’s eye and mouth on the side it hung from. While he was able to find care for the other medical issue Shaq had, vets were hesitant to perform surgery to remove the actual tumor. “Most vets didn’t want to go near the operation as it was just too dangerous.”
Luck was on Shaq’s side though and in November Niall shared on Instagram that the life-saving surgery had finally occurred, “Yesterday after a month of prep, Big Shaq went under the knife.” He admitted that the surgery was extremely hard on Shaq and he was still in a lot of pain afterwards. The dog was feeling the after effects of a major surgery and came out of anesthesia, “Shaking and cold and moaning. I wasn’t sure he’d make it.” Days later though, Niall said that Shaq “Has bounced back like a champion.”
The next few weeks were touch and go as Shaq struggled to heal, but by the end of November Niall had good news to share, “Shaq has been battling for his life for the last 5-6 weeks. It was touch and go that he could even survive an operation but here he is today alive and well”. The before and after pictures are just incredible!
Shaq Finds His Forever Home
Niall quickly realized that Shaq was a dog that needed a good home and deserved to be with people who loved him. He announced, “I’m giving him a space and committing to getting him a forever home. He has turned into the most gentle, caring and loving dog imaginable. He deserves this break.”
While he hasn’t found his forever home yet, Niall knows that he will find it soon. He said that Shaq proves that even when you are down on your luck you should never give up. “His story shows us that things can change and they can change very quickly.” Shaq is a strong reminder to us all that sometimes a helping hand and a little love is all you need to make positive life changes happen in your life.
Source: @niall.harbison
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