Our Vets, Techs & Their Pets:
Linus - Rescued by ROAR. Saved by CUVS. Adopted by Dr. Oli Morgan
By Dr. Oliver Morgan (CUVS surgeon)

A few years ago, my wife, and CUVS internist, Megan, told me that there was a Border Collie puppy in our ICU. Although she had fallen for this bundle of energy (weighing less than a pound and capable of sitting in her palm during his few days of hospitalization in ICU attached to intravenous fluids and living in the oxygen cage), I was very skeptical. My heart has fallen for many Border Collies over my life and, while I knew that I wanted another, our 15-year old Australian cattle dog, Bailey, had never fully recovered her verve following the passing of her sister in 2010. She had been slowing down week by week and month by month, retreating to her bed and coming out just for walks and to eat. Essentially, she was lonely and had no playmate. Maybe this sweet puppy was the answer?

Linus was born into a litter destined for trouble and it’s amazing he even survived. His mother had been adopted by a good Samaritan in Connecticut after being rescued from a shelter in Tennessee. Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue (ROAR) stepped in when the mother was found to be pregnant and they housed and cared for her throughout her pregnancy. When the litter of four pups were born, they quickly got into trouble. One of Linus’ sisters was brought to CUVS with pneumonia but, sadly, quickly succumbed to the illness. Linus and his other sister Lucy started showing similar signs of pneumonia and were both brought to CUVS for intensive care. This is when Megan first met him. Sadly, none of Linus’ siblings could beat the herpes viral pneumonia. But Linus, with his ravenous appetite, boundless energy, and zest for life managed to pull through.

Megan convinced me to visit Linus with our 2-year old son, Cole. We were smitten and quickly agreed that, despite Megan being 7 months pregnant and with our world about to change so drastically with a newborn once again, that Linus was our next family member. He was only about 5 lbs and smaller than our cat. We adopted him in mid-February and brought him home to spend a couple of months adjusting to a family where he was the youngest. In late May, we added a young daughter into our midst and Linus quickly became her careful protector and companion.

Linus is now 3 years old and the most lively, energetic, bundle of 40 lbs we could have hoped for. He is now our only dog and was joined by a rescued cat in April, 2017.