In Memoryof Star
Star was not born a Star; she had a different name and was born into a life of neglect. Her home was a
small plywood box with a dirt floor and a small opening barely large enough to crawl into. She received very little love or care, so food and water were scarce.
Star’s rescue story started in 2015, on a hot summer day in Missouri. Sikeston Animal Control was notified of a poor dog and her puppies. On arrival, Star had crawled out of the box and was leaning against the house with her head hung low, emaciated, wobbling, and unable to move or stand on her own. She had recently given birth to a litter of 13 tiny puppies inside the plywood box. Only 9 of the 13 puppies survived the horrible heat and conditions they were born into. Star was severely dehydrated and undernourished but miraculously, her puppies were ok! She had selflessly given everything she had to love, nourish and care for her puppies.
Animal Control determined that Star would die without vetting and proper attention. They reached out to both Act Now Rescue and to Dr. Shannon Flegle for assistance. By the time Star arrived at Murphy Animal Hospital, she had advanced kidney failure and was having seizures. Due to the severity of neglect, Star required a tremendous amount of medical care. Her kidneys were failing. Dr Flegle and her team fought hard to save her life. After several weeks and months, Star was able to make a remarkable recovery!
Star’s rescue story started in 2015, on a hot summer day in Missouri. Sikeston Animal Control was notified of a poor dog and her puppies. On arrival, Star had crawled out of the box and was leaning against the house with her head hung low, emaciated, wobbling, and unable to move or stand on her own. She had recently given birth to a litter of 13 tiny puppies inside the plywood box. Only 9 of the 13 puppies survived the horrible heat and conditions they were born into. Star was severely dehydrated and undernourished but miraculously, her puppies were ok! She had selflessly given everything she had to love, nourish and care for her puppies.
Animal Control determined that Star would die without vetting and proper attention. They reached out to both Act Now Rescue and to Dr. Shannon Flegle for assistance. By the time Star arrived at Murphy Animal Hospital, she had advanced kidney failure and was having seizures. Due to the severity of neglect, Star required a tremendous amount of medical care. Her kidneys were failing. Dr Flegle and her team fought hard to save her life. After several weeks and months, Star was able to make a remarkable recovery!
Star’s puppies were rescued and well taken care of by Act Now Rescue, who found a surrogate lactating mamma who accepted all the puppies. The puppies were well cared for and thriving! They were all adopted into loving families.
Dr. Shannon Flegle and her husband, Jeff, cared for and fostered Star while she was overcoming the obstacles of survival. She was a wonderful dog but required ongoing medications, medical care and rehabilitation. Due to her extensive medical needs, they adopted Star into their wonderful family. The Flegle’s gave her the name Star, because she was always the center of attention and she also had a small black star shape on the middle of her bright pink tongue.
The summer of 2018, Star’s health started to decline, and her kidneys began failing. Star never fully recovered from her ordeal of neglect, leading to her compromised kidneys. When medical treatment options were no longer effective, Dr. Flegle began to consider more extreme options like dialysis and kidney transplant, both of which are very rare for dogs.
Dr. Flegle found a surgeon at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who would perform a kidney transplant on Star. For Star to be given the chance of a successful transplant, she needed a kidney donor that was a familial match. Dr Flegle reached out to the Murray family, who had adopted Star’s daughter, Elsa, who was a perfect match. Elsa’s human mom, Jenny Murray, and her family, agreed to the kidney transplant. Jenny felt that because Star had given so much to save her own puppies, it would be an honor for Elsa to have a chance to save her mom, Star.
On October 10th, 2018, surgeons at the University of Wisconsin-Madison performed rare transplant surgery on the mother, Star, and her daughter, Elsa. Within 36 hours of the transplant, Star’s blood work was normal. Elsa was doing great too. The transplant was a success!
Exactly one month later, on November 10, 2018, Star suffered some kind of emergency and passed away within an hour. It was very sudden and unexpected. They did not know exactly what happened, but believe it was either a blood clot or possibly a reaction/toxicity to the anti-rejection medications that caused a chain reaction in her body.
Star was a sweet and amazing dog. Despite all the abuse and neglect of her past, she adored everyone around her. Star’s story was documented by a local TV news network, and her story went global! People from all over the United States, Europe and the world have been inspired by Star’s story. Star has made such a difference in the lives of many people, in medical research, and in her own puppies lives as well. Dr. Shannon Flegle and her husband, Jeff, have gone above and beyond in giving Star the best possible life, well surpassing what she could have ever wished for.
Dr. Shannon Flegle and her husband, Jeff, cared for and fostered Star while she was overcoming the obstacles of survival. She was a wonderful dog but required ongoing medications, medical care and rehabilitation. Due to her extensive medical needs, they adopted Star into their wonderful family. The Flegle’s gave her the name Star, because she was always the center of attention and she also had a small black star shape on the middle of her bright pink tongue.
The summer of 2018, Star’s health started to decline, and her kidneys began failing. Star never fully recovered from her ordeal of neglect, leading to her compromised kidneys. When medical treatment options were no longer effective, Dr. Flegle began to consider more extreme options like dialysis and kidney transplant, both of which are very rare for dogs.
Dr. Flegle found a surgeon at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who would perform a kidney transplant on Star. For Star to be given the chance of a successful transplant, she needed a kidney donor that was a familial match. Dr Flegle reached out to the Murray family, who had adopted Star’s daughter, Elsa, who was a perfect match. Elsa’s human mom, Jenny Murray, and her family, agreed to the kidney transplant. Jenny felt that because Star had given so much to save her own puppies, it would be an honor for Elsa to have a chance to save her mom, Star.
On October 10th, 2018, surgeons at the University of Wisconsin-Madison performed rare transplant surgery on the mother, Star, and her daughter, Elsa. Within 36 hours of the transplant, Star’s blood work was normal. Elsa was doing great too. The transplant was a success!
Exactly one month later, on November 10, 2018, Star suffered some kind of emergency and passed away within an hour. It was very sudden and unexpected. They did not know exactly what happened, but believe it was either a blood clot or possibly a reaction/toxicity to the anti-rejection medications that caused a chain reaction in her body.
Star was a sweet and amazing dog. Despite all the abuse and neglect of her past, she adored everyone around her. Star’s story was documented by a local TV news network, and her story went global! People from all over the United States, Europe and the world have been inspired by Star’s story. Star has made such a difference in the lives of many people, in medical research, and in her own puppies lives as well. Dr. Shannon Flegle and her husband, Jeff, have gone above and beyond in giving Star the best possible life, well surpassing what she could have ever wished for.
