A Pomeranian puppy found wandering San Bernardino streets and born with partially formed male and female reproductive organs has been saved from possible euthanasia after one woman’s donation allowed for a $1,165 gender reassignment surgery.
Red, as the dog is being called until it is adopted, needed the surgery to prevent infection and reduce the risk of developing cancer.
Now – thanks to the surgery performed by a veterinary specialist from Orange County – Red is without any reproductive organs, healthy and ready for adoption.
The Press-Enterprise: Transgender dog saved by surgery
The condition is so rare that published data do not include an estimated percentage of the pet population with the condition. Veterinarians see it once in a 30-year-old career, if at all, said San Bernardino veterinarian Marc DiCarlo. In humans, it occurs in three out of 100,000 people.
Blechinger paid for Red’s surgery out of her own pocket, because the organization couldn’t afford it and because the dog “is in this position through no fault of its own. I didn’t want them to put the dog to sleep.” …
Ryan Long, a kennel supervisor at the shelter, described the dog as bright, alert and responsive when he first examined him. But he said upon examination, Red did not look anatomically correct.
Di Carlo diagnosed the dog as a pseudo-male hermaphrodite. Genetically male, the pooch was born with partially formed male and female parts.
Shelter workers then contacted Blechinger, who arranged for a foster home for Red and paid for his surgery. …
Last Friday, James Felts, a veterinary specialist from Orange County who was told about Red by DiCarlo, performed the 90-minute surgical procedure. …
