Mila is a 7-week-old pug puppy who was born with upside-down paws. Oliver and Friends Farm Rescue and Sanctuary shared pictures of her on their Facebook page and are seeking donations to help fix Mila’s birth defect.
According to the rescue non-profit, Mila was born with bilateral luxated elbows as a result of ligaments not developing properly. The condition makes the paws upside-down.
In order to repair the defect, Mila will need a very long and expensive correctional surgery and rehab but can live a normal life once the correction is made.
“Without surgery, she will never walk, run or play like a normal dog,” said the sanctuary on its Facebook page. “It’s always a bummer when animals are born with deformities, but we feel really good that she landed here with us.”
The sanctuary shared that while this condition is extremely rare, they have seen another instance of a dog being born with bilateral luxated elbows; his name was Milo, and it was back in 2019.
“She has the exact same extremely rare condition that Milo had and will be going through the same surgical correction and rehab that Milo went through,” shared Jennie Hays to FOX Television Studios. Hays is the founder of Oliver and Friends Farm Rescue and Sanctuary. “We also rescued and continue to care for Milo, who has a normal puppy life as a 3-year-old after his surgical correction and extensive rehab,” she added.
Mila is scheduled for a CT scan and 3D printing later this week for doctors to properly assess her joints and develop a plan of action. Her surgery will take place at Oklahoma State University.