Logan: The Puppy with a Broken Heart

If you haven't heard the story of Logan, the adorable puppy with a broken heart, you may want to grab a few tissues. Logan's story is a testament to those who work tirelessly in animal rescue and proof of how one "like" or "share" can literally mean the difference between life or death.

Logan was brought to Rescued Hearts Northwest, a foster based animal rescue located in Washington state.  He was diagnosed with Pulmonic Valve Dysplasia, a heart condition where the main heart valve doesn't close properly and prevents the oxygenation of his blood. With Logan's diagnosis also came the grim reality that he would not be on this earth for very long. Learning this, his loving foster family committed to being his final home and promised to fill his final days with love, comfort and all things "dog".

Rescued Hearts Northwest shared Logan's story on their Facebook page and asked their followers to help create a Bucket List for Logan and it got pretty long pretty fast and included: getting 100 hugs (he got way more), picking out his own toy at the pet store, eat an ice cream, go to the beach, land on a Jones Soda bottle, and much more. 

Logan's Bucket List and story gained a lot of attention, went viral, made national headlines, and got the attention of Dr. Scansen at Colorado State University.  Dr. Scansen told the rescue there was a chance to fix Logan's heart.

A Go Fund Me page was set up to cover the surgery cost, transportation costs, medical care for the interim and expected post op needs. In January, Logan headed to Colorado to meet the doctor and get the surgery. Adding to his bucket list, flying in a private airplane!

Thursday was surgery day for Logan and during the procedure, the doctor discovered an abnormality. Logan is missing one of the major veins that goes back to his heart, which prevented the doctor from taking the usual path to complete the surgery.  However, Dr. Scansen shared that there is still hope, and that the team has a plan: 

"The plan for Logan was and, now even more so, remains open heart surgery. He has two valves that are abnormal, the pulmonary valve, which we were hoping to dilate today, and the tricuspid valve, which always would have required open heart surgery.

Now we are going to have to address both valves by open heart surgery, with the plan to come back when he's closer to six to eight months of age.

It's cases like Logan that really emphasize why I do this job. Logan will be back and I remain hopeful that we will give him a fix that provides a good and full life.

It's heartbreaking not to be successful today. But when we see the outpouring of care and concern in Washington state, Colorado and, truly, across the country, that has been expressed for Logan, it tells us how important the human-animal bond is, as well as how much these animals mean to the family, to those who care for them, and even to those they have never met.  And it's why I come to work every day."

On Friday, Logan headed back to Washington to return to the care of his foster family. The goal is to keep Logan healthy, happy and GROWING until he gets to the 6 month mark. The cost of Logan's journey is expensive, and the extraordinary costs are outlined on his Go Fund Me Page.  If you are able to contribute, wonderful. If not, please be sure to follow Logan's journey on the Rescued Hearts Northwest Facebook page, like and share his story and keep him in your prayers. 

Thank you Rescued Hearts Northwest for saving this this little man, and doing everything in your power to help him. We are rooting for you Logan!!! 

All photos included in this post are ©Rescued Hearts Northwest and are used with permission for purposes of this post.