With an injured Goldendoodle shaking in pain in the backseat of their car, a young Arkansas couple drove 330 miles to Mississippi State’s Animal Health Center prepared to drain their wedding fund.
The 10-month-old puppy was hit by a car and left stranded on Acklin Road in Conway, Arkansas. Dylan McCay, 22, and Emily Roberts, 23, saw a social media post about the dog and quickly drove a short distance to help the abandoned puppy. The couple agreed they would use their savings and wedding funds to help the dog they began to call Acklin. When McCay stopped to help, he was initially cautious and worried she might be aggressive due to her pain—but that wasn’t the case.
“Her temperament was wonderful. I had my hazard lights on, got out and she was trying to scoot over toward me,” McCay said. “She put her head on my lap as I’m trying to call emergency hospitals. The whole time, she’s just wanted to be loved on.”
In the pouring rain on Halloween night, McCay loaded the Goldendoodle, now named Maple, into his car. Both of her hind leg femurs were fractured and exposed, one entirely coated with mud.
They rushed Maple to Greenbrier Animal Hospital in Conway where Dr. Eric Schrand, a 2022 MSU Doctor of Veterinary Medicine graduate, quickly recognized the severity of the puppy’s injuries and called MSU. After unsuccessfully trying to admit Maple to surgeons in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee, Schrand urged the couple to drive more than 330 miles for care at his alma mater.
“We were just going to do it,” Roberts said. “We tried a few local places, but a lot of places were closed, or they weren’t the most competent to do the surgery that needed to be done. We felt like it was something that needed to be done right for her quality of life.”
MSU College of Veterinary Medicine Chief of Small Animal Surgery Dr. Michael Jaffe and second-year surgical resident Dr. Weston Beamon spoke to Schrand in Conway, who had originally suggested amputation due to the open-fracture wounds and possibility of infection. Jaffe and Beamon went into the five-hour surgery with the mindset to save both legs. After piecing the legs together with five screws, two pins and one bone plate in each leg, the surgery was successfully completed.
“She was walking on both legs two days after surgery,” Jaffe said. “She’s a tough little girl. She’s getting stronger now and building that muscle back. She’s got a long way to go, but she’s going to do it.”
When McCay and Roberts received an update that the surgery was not only successful, but that Maple would live a healthy, normal life, they almost couldn’t believe it.
“I broke out in tears when the surgery was over,” Roberts said. “It went OK—it went more than OK. Once they told us both legs were fixed and she would be as good as new, it was amazing. It felt like a miracle.”
Beamon believes this “happy ending” happened because of the staff and level of care MSU gives its patients. At least 30 MSU personnel managed Maple’s case, including vet students, radiologists, ER staff, anesthesia team, physical therapists, technicians and surgeons. Though he believes this surgery could have been completed at other facilities, he said MSU’s around-the-clock care and interaction with the owners is unparalleled.
“We have students calling owners twice a day, sending photos and videos,” Beamon said. “That’s a big part of our care. There were so many people that worked on her case, and that’s what really helped her come through.”
The couple, who had only spent a few hours rescuing Maple before bringing her to MSU, said the constant updates they received from the veterinary staff and students made the process easier.
“It’s been a really good experience with MSU,” Roberts said. “Students have been super communicative. They tell us everything, send videos and pictures. They share all Maple’s stories with us every day. Even the little details most people would skip over, they tell us.”
Since finding Maple, McCay and Roberts have put their wedding planning on hold, but still hope to get married in spring 2026. To offset Maple’s nearly $15,000 in surgical costs, the couple set up a GoFundMe page which has garnered more than 948 donations: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-acklin-urgent-surgery-needed.
“It’s been unbelievable, and we feel really blessed,” Roberts said. “We’re in a constant state of shock and very thankful. It’s beautiful to see that people care about our story and love Maple just as much as we do.”
