Surgery Date Set for Lulu as Pooch Continues to Improve

The North Shore’s favorite dog, Lulu, has improved tremendously over the past month – and surgery is on the horizon for her.

Kimberly Donahue, who is fostering Lulu after the dog's previous owner abandoned her at Spoiled Rotten Doggy Daycare in Danvers, said Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston has set Lulu's surgery for March 24. Lulu is expected to remain at the Boston facility for two nights so they can monitor her.

Lulu has a medical condition called esophageal diverticulitis, which requires immediate corrective surgery to allow her to eat and not regurgitate her food. The problem hasn’t been treated for years.

If she doesn’t get the surgery, her condition will worsen and can lead to a secondary condition, such as an infection in her lungs, which can be fatal.

Donahue took in the 6-year-old German Shepherd last month and created a GoFundMe page to raise money for the surgery, which could cost as much as $8,000.

Donahue raised more than $17,000 after Lulu’s story went viral. She will donate the money raised that is more than it costs for the surgery and post-surgery care to Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem. 

Lulu has improved tremendously since Patch featured her story last month. Donahue said Lulu has become an “even sweeter dog” as she has settled in to Donahue's home. 

Donahue purees Lulu’s food so she can digest it properly and the Danvers resident reports no digestive problems for Lulu the past two weeks except for an occasional blip.

Donahue continues to praise the staff at Spoiled Rotten, which helps Donahue by watching Lulu a few days a week, along with Donahue’s dog, Shiloh, who has become Lulu's good friend.

“I will find a way to express my appreciation to them, but folks out there need to know this is so much more than a business to them,” said Donahue. “It's a labor of love for them too.”

Here are our previous articles about Lulu:

Saving Lulu: Danvers Resident Hopes to Give Ailing Dog a Second Chance 

Readers Open Their Hearts, Wallets for Lulu 

Lulu is on the Mend, Visits Angell Memorial