The first year of his life has not been easy, but with your support he could have a brighter future.

The sweet one-year-old French bulldog mix arrived as a stray at an animal shelter in Norman, Oklahoma, in desperate need of medical care.

This poor boy had a severely prolapsed rectum, as well as the condition known as “cherry eye” — swollen and protruding eyelid glands. The shelter put out a plea for help in the rescue network and Friends With Four Paws stepped up to help.

Without their help, he was at risk of euthanasia due to his medical needs.

A volunteer with the organization picked up Tonka and brought him to a local vet. He immediately underwent surgery to repair his prolapsed rectum and stayed under the team’s supervision for a week.

The shelter reached out to Greater Good Charities’ Emergency Animal Medical fund for help in covering his accumulating medical bills. The fund was created to provide emergency surgery and medical care to shelter pets and give them a second chance to find a loving home.

Tonka has started on the long road to recovery from his first surgery in a foster home, but still needs surgery to repair his swollen eye glands.

He is on strict crate rest, special diet, and several medications to manage the pain. Once he has fully recovered from this surgery, he will undergo surgery to repair his eyes.

The shelter shared with us, “He loves to play and loves to cuddle. He does great with other dogs. Tonka’s foster mom reports that he is a pretty amazing little guy. Per the usual Tonka is not a fan of the vacuum so vacuums beware.”

Pets receiving critical care facilitated by an Emergency Animal Medical grant may not be eligible for adoption until they have completed their course of treatment. If you would like to inquire about adoption of a specific animal, we strongly encourage you to visit the shelter’s specific website first as that is often the most up to date place to learn about available pets and review the adoption policies and process. Check out the shelter’s website to see all adoptable pets.