07/05/2025
Remember Miracle Max (now Luka)? We shared the beginning of his story a couple weeks ago (https://buff.ly/qW7G5GM ) and can't wait to share his happy ending. We're already crying, so buckle up...
When we last left off, our vet had just performed an emergency surgery to remove a huge corn cob that was blocking Luka's intestines. He left for a foster home to recover, and was in much better spirits than when he came to us.
Soon, though, Luka's fosters had to rush him in the middle of the night to Veterinary Emergency Group, or VEG, in critical condition. Their team discovered that fluid was rapidly filling the space around Luka's lungs: he was "suffocating from the inside out," James, the medical director, said. Their emergency team placed a chest tube and began removing fluid.
When James checked on Luka, the dog was terrified and exhausted, and his future was uncertain. But as soon as James knelt beside him, he rested his head in his lap and fell asleep. 🥺 "This changed everything," James said. "I knew we had to try to save him."
It turns out that Luka had a serious bacterial infection. As a stray, though, there was no one to cover the tens of thousands of dollars needed for advanced imaging and surgery; unfortunately, our shelter isn't able to perform these procedures. We weren’t sure how to proceed. James told us that he asked himself the question: “What if Luka was relinquished to me? The surgery, which would typically cost up to $20,000, would be done at a discount by teams of vets and vet students."
This transfer was approved, and the team went straight to surgery. They were shocked to find that an 8 inch corndog stick had punctured THROUGH Luka's chest, pressing against his lungs and heart. Difficult to detect, “it had been there for who knows how long—silently causing infection, inflammation, and life-threatening damage.” 💔
Luka remained at VEG post-op for several days under intensive care, and with each passing day, he showed a little more spark—eating, wagging his tail, and finally, breathing on his own.
"Eventually, he was discharged—not back to a shelter, but home with ME," James said. "Miracle Max is now Luka, and he lives his best life with his two dog brothers, a big backyard, and more love than he’s ever known. Luka’s story is one of resilience, teamwork, and choosing to say yes—even when the odds say no." 😭 🥹
From a dumpster-diving stray who survived not one but TWO complex emergency surgeries, to a goofy, happy member of a loving family, Luka truly is a miracle. ❤️
Swipe through the photos to follow Luka's time at VEG! James asks that you share Luka’s journey to raise awareness about the critical work of city shelter veterinary teams, the life-saving power of emergency veterinary care, and the beautiful transformations that happen when a community comes together for an animal in need. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. 🥰
Veterinary Emergency Group
