It was evident that this small baby was having a hard time, but he was a fighter, and he was not about to give up.
Although it may not seem like it at first, the world is full of fantastic people who do incredible things and help those in need.
Kathryn Mongrain, a licensed veterinary technician from Houston, Texas, is one of them. She has been working in an emergency room for many years now, but she decided to focus on special needs babies in 2015.
She founded “The Bottle Brigade,” a safe haven for all special needs/medical fur babies in need of a second chance. They would be euthanized otherwise.
Hammy, The Sass Master
Tiny Paws Rescue, a non-profit organization and small-breed dog rescue based in The Woodlands, Texas, placed Hammy in Kathryn’s care.
Genny Zygmanik Murphy, the rescue’s founder and CEO, needed assistance with Hammy because he had a cleft palate.
Hammy had problems breathing for the first couple of days at The Bottle Brigade. He was nothing like himself.
This young infant was clearly struggling, but he was a fighter, and he was not prepared to give up.
Kathryn was forced to place him in the incubator.
After a couple of days, when Hammy was feeling a little better, she would gradually remove him from the incubator to get him accustomed.
But he had to go back inside, and Hammy was having none of it.
He had the strength to rebel despite being a sick, teeny-tiny infant. “He was like, ‘Umm, why am I back in here?’” Kathryn recalls.
Little Hammy had discovered his voice and was shouting furiously.
“Hammy said he was ready to come out of the incubator.” “That boy’s lungs were no longer a problem,” Kathryn explained.
“He saw the world the second his eyes opened, and he just wanted to scream.” He’d let you know when he didn’t want to do something, when you weren’t looking at him, and when he wanted your attention.”
He was small, but his voice was strong, and he wanted to be heard.
“Every time you talked to him, he would just, like, sass you back,” Kathryn explained.
He started running about the house as soon as he felt better, and he enjoyed it. Hammy even made a new friend at the residence.
Etta was a 100-pound Great Dane. Even though Hammy weighed barely 5 pounds and was dwarfed by Etta, he would sass her.
It was like he was completely unaware that she was a hundred times his size.
“He came to work with me at the hospital every day.” He had friends everywhere. “When we’d get home from work with Hammy, he’d be ready to run around and play,” Kathryn explained.
It was almost like he knew he had a second chance and wasn’t going to waste it. This little guy was having the time of his life.
When Hammy felt well enough, he went back to Genny, the woman who had brought him to Kathryn in the first place.
“Hammy is like a walking miracle, and it just gives me so much more faith in my other babies, too, that they can get through it,” Kathryn explained.
He had to undergo two cleft surgery, but Hammy is now a healthy youngster.
Genny sent an update to her Facebook page, saying:
“Guess what, Hammy is now a “regular” puppy!! He can eat and drink from a bowl like any other dog! Hammy is still on seizure medication and has bells on his collar to warn him if he has a seizure, and he has the emphysema smokers cough caused by his numerous pneumonias. Hammy is such a joyful MIRACLE!!”
He is now a healthy and happy dog, just like the others, thanks to these two women who believed in Hammy and were willing to go to any length for this little feisty puppy.
Hammy’s journey is shown in the video below: