When Kel Izumine first laid eyes on a 5-ounce newborn pit bull puppy, she couldn’t believe that someone wouldn’t want her.
With the palm-sized puppy on her chest, veterinary technician Izumine, founder and director of Rock And Roll Rescue Hospice House (RARR), listened to the owner’s reasoning but still couldn’t make sense of it.
“She had a really, really severe injury to her front arm,” Izumine told The Dodo in a recent video. “The breeding party just wanted her euthanized.”
Kel Izumine
The puppy, later named MJ, had an injury that ultimately required emergency, lifesaving amputation. But while the breeder saw no hope for MJ’s future, Izumine knew she could still live a happy and fulfilling life with just three legs.
Izumine asked the breeder to surrender MJ to RARR and breathed a sigh of relief when they agreed.
“That way, she would actually have a chance,” Izumine said. “I was really upset because she was so young.”
Kel Izumine
MJ was indeed tiny and vulnerable, but she quickly proved she had a fighter’s spirit. She powered through two amputation surgeries at less than 2 months old and recovered quickly, literally yelling in celebration along the way.
“Since literally day one, she has been the most dramatic, vocal, loud personality that I’ve ever seen in my life,” Izumine said.
Kel Izumine
MJ may have been loud, but it only made her caregivers fall in love with her even more. After a while, MJ grew strong enough to go into weekly foster care — temporary field trips away from the clinic — and her nurses would jump at the chance to take her home.
“It was funny because at work, people would fight over who gets to take her for the weekend because she’s just so much fun to have around,” Izumine said.
Kel Izumine
As the weeks passed, MJ’s physical strength and bubbly personality continued to grow. She thrived during her weekly leash-training sessions with Izumine and was soon ready for adoption. Luckily, someone in her extended family had already taken an interest in her.
“One of my best friends adopted her,” Izumine said.
Kel Izumine
On the day of her adoption, the sweet pup’s tail wagged harder than ever before while meeting her new family.
“It’s like she almost knew, like, ‘OK, this is my next chapter, and this is forever,’” Izumine said.
You can watch MJ meet her new family here:
Once a helpless and rejected newborn, MJ soon blossomed into a strong and playful pup. The years following her rescue were filled with bliss, thanks to the one person who refused to give up on her in the first place.
“I’m just endlessly grateful she made it through like a champ,” Izumine said.
Kel Izumine
Sadly, MJ, renamed Nebula, passed away in 2023 at the age of 2, after a courageous battle against a rare spinal cord disease. Her loss sent shockwaves throughout her community, as they’d hoped to see her thrive for many more years.
However, Nebula’s tribe of loved ones, including Izumine, remains grateful that the sweet girl got to experience life as a puppy alongside her amazing forever mom, Dr. Drea Dillon.
“You are the momma and the family I wish all animals could have,” Izumine wrote to Dillon on Facebook. “Your sunshine will shine even brighter with the best guardian angel.”
To help pups like MJ get the care they need, you can donate to Rock And Roll Rescue Hospice House here.
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