FITCHBURG -- After spreading joy to countless children over the years as a therapy dog, one small but mighty four-footed friend is in need of some TLC herself.
Olivia, fondly called Livvy, is an adorable 10-year-old Yorkshire Terrier who recently had a health crisis that led to emergency surgery. The procedure came just in the nick of time as she had pancreatitis and was starting to turn septic due to an infection.
While Livvy is thankfully now on the road to recovery, the over $7,000 mountain of veterinarian bills is huge financial strain for her human, lifelong city resident Cheryl Maguy-Stewart, who runs a daycare and faithfully brings Livvy to the library and schools in the city as part of the Be PAWSitive Therapy Pets and Community Education TheraPAWS program. A GoFundMe was set up to help defray the cost of Livvy's care and any donation, big or small, is appreciated.
Fellow city resident Sally Cragin, who runs the canine centric community outreach program, met Maguy-Stewart more than a decade ago.
"I was starting Be PAWSitive and immediately found out she had this adorable and friendly little dog," Cragin recalled. "I persuaded her to join, and it's been magic ever since."
Since then, Livvy has been a regular at the popular Read to a Therapy Pet events held at the Fitchburg Public Library on the first Saturdays of the month from 10:30 a.m. to noon and she will be making her first appearance since surgery on Oct. 5. In addition to being a regular at the library, Livvy also visits with children at their schools, goes to PTO meetings, and attends other community events.
"This is an extraordinary little dog who's won hundreds of hearts in the region," Cragin said.
Maguy-Stewart said Livvy's "wonderful veterinarian," Dr. Terra Baldarelli at Twin City Animal Hospital on South Street, "had tears in her eyes at Livvy's diagnosis and was so caring." Baldarelli, who owns Livvy's father, contacted the Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn and Livvy underwent emergency surgery that same evening.
"Livvy had a bad pancreatitis, and had an infection in her uterus and they performed a total hysterectomy," Maguy-Stewart shared. "Timing was perfect, as Livvy was just starting to turn septic. We tried over the years to get Livvy pregnant, and it never worked."
After two days post-surgery, Livvy refused to drink water or eat.
"I was asked to come get her and if I could not get her to eat and drink, Livvy would die soon," Maguy-Stewart was told.
It was a harrowing time and for two weeks straight, Maguy-Stewart stayed by Livvy's side, even waking during the night to feed her precious pup with an eyedropper and drop water into her mouth. Her loving care, and according to her, "many Facebook friends prayed," worked - "my prayers were answered and she ate for me."
Maguy-Stewart is happy to report that Livvy is gaining weight back after dropping down to 3.65 lbs. from her normal 4 ½ lbs. while she was sick. Her two-year-old grandson, Maverick Stewart, paid a visit to gently love on Livvy after her surgery.
"His hug is exactly what Livvy needed for motivation to eat," Maguy-Stewart said.
At her last follow up with Dr. Baldarelli, Livvy weighed in at 5 lbs. and the vet is very happy with how her recovery is going.
"Livvy became diabetic and required insulin from issues due to the fast weight loss," Maguy-Stewart reported. "Now that her weight is up, no diabetic issues. The doctors all say Livvy's calmness was a major factor in her healing."
Maguy-Stewart said she is looking forward to brining Livvy to the library and schools again -- and that she loves seeing how she connects with the kids and impacts them in a very positive way.
"She gets so excited by her regular children who come to the library and making new friends," she said. "A little girl named Fiona, who is afraid of larger dogs, attends some Saturdays and really makes Livvy smile as the two share a sweet bond. Children who fear reading aloud gain confidence reading to Livvy and her furry friends as their presence at the library calms children. I love the magic of seeing how Livvy can transform a child's reading skills and watching Livvy do her magic."