Hazel is a Greyhound. He ran 8 races in his life before his previous owners retired him.
When Lena adopted him, the dog was an athlete trained to run.
A true athlete
She took him for long walks and watched him run at full speed across the fields. Hazel was a happy and perfectly healthy dog. But everything changed one day when, while he was simply resting, Hazel suddenly collapsed. His back legs could no longer support him.
A veterinary examination revealed that the dog had a herniated disc which had compressed an artery, causing a massive haemorrhage and paralysis in his hind legs. It's one of the most devastating injuries for a dog that is born to run.
An 8-hour operation
Hazel had no choice but to undergo surgery. He had an 8-hour operation to decompress his spine. The vets warned Lena that if Hazel still couldn't move his hind legs by the sixth week, she would have to consider euthanasia.
Despite what everyone was telling her, Lena decided not to give up. She chose to believe in the signs Hazel was giving her that he would walk again. These signs were small but significant: a little wag of his tail, a bit more strength in his legs, and managing to balance for a few seconds.
Finally, in May, sixteen weeks after his injury, Hazel took his first steps all by himself. At that moment, Lena knew for certain that he was going to pull through. The dog's recovery journey is still ongoing, and we send all our best wishes to Hazel and his family!