10/5/26 FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS ~ We received the heartbreaking results from Matilda Wren’s X-rays, and the news was not what we hoped for.
The X-rays showed a serious abnormality in her right femur (thigh bone) that was highly concerning for an aggressive bone cancer, such as osteosarcoma. There were also several small spots in her lungs that potentially indicated the cancer had already spread.
Given the severity of the bone changes and the concern that the disease may have already spread, amputation was unlikely to solve the larger problem.
And this is the part of rescue that just really sucks.
We were so excited to give this girl a chance. We wanted to get her healthy, find her a family who would adore her and finally give her the life she deserved. She was far too young for this. She should have had years ahead of her filled with belly rubs, couch naps, stolen snacks and a family who thought she was the best dog in the world.
Instead, we found ourselves having to make an impossible decision for a dog we had only just met.
And that is absolutely gut-wrenching.
We could have loaded her up on pain medication. We could have put her through a massive surgery. We could have hoped for the best. But if the cancer had already spread, we would have put her through all of that only to discover that it wasn’t enough.
We didn’t want her final days to be defined by pain, medications and a major surgery that she might not survive or benefit from. We had to consider her quality of life, even when our hearts were screaming at us to do something, anything, to save her.
So we chose the hardest kind of kindness. We let her go peacefully, surrounded by people who cared about her, before her suffering became greater than her good days.
We wanted to give her a whole new life. We just wish we had been given more time to do it.
Matilda Wren, you were loved.
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9/21/26 INTRODUCTION ~ Matilda Wren didn’t walk into rescue this morning. She was carried.
When Matilda Wren was picked up as a stray, she was dragging her back right leg. The animal services team knew something was terribly wrong and immediately rushed her to the emergency vet.
The X-rays brought devastating news: her leg is full of cancer.
This morning, our volunteer Rebecca picked Matilda Wren up from the shelter and brought her straight to our veterinarian. She’ll undergo additional testing to determine whether the cancer has spread.
If it hasn’t, Matilda Wren will have her leg amputated.
It’s a lot for this sweet girl to face. But today, she has something she didn’t have before: people fighting for her.
We don’t know yet what Matilda Wren’s treatment will cost, but we know it’s going to be significant. What we do know is that we will give her every opportunity we can to leave this pain behind and find out what life feels like when someone is finally taking care of you.
Please help us cover Matilda Wren’s veterinary care. Every donation, no matter the amount, will help us get her through the tests, treatment and recovery ahead. Visit dfwbulldogrescue.org/donate
