Armani's Angels

In October 2013, Armani, a 23lb Cockapoo, was brutally beaten during a home invasion. He was taken to the University of Missouri Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a very small chance of survival. His skull was fractured in multiple places, and before imaging, doctors even suspected a gunshot wound because the injuries were so extensive. He was immediately placed on anti-seizure medication and received a blood transfusion due to brain hemorrhaging. By morning, Armani had lost the ability to swallow. His owners put their trust in the University Vet team, and he was placed on a ventilator and feeding tube while being monitored 24/7 by Emergency and Critical Care for 10 days. He was slowly taken off anesthesia to test his ability to breathe on his own, and had to be put back under several times due to unstable blood pressure and temperature. His blood pressure would rise when his owners were in the room, giving everyone hope. When he finally awoke and could breathe independently, he was anxious and unable to walk.

Doctors predicted weeks of physical therapy, but Armani proved them wrong. Twelve days after the incident, he managed a few steps with a special harness. A week after being released from the hospital, he could walk on his own, though he had many falls. At first he only walked in circles due to blindness in his right eye from brain damage, but he eventually regained full function—and even the ability to run. He was “normal for Armani,” as Dr. Bernhard from the MU Vet Hospital said.

A year later, Armani began having seizures and developed diabetes, among other ailments tied to brain degeneration from the trauma. After five months of fighting, he earned his angel wings.

Armani’s owners were fortunate to be able to cover the costs of his miraculous recovery. After seeing how friends and family rallied to help, Armani’s mom, Jessica Robertson, created the nonprofit organization Armani’s Angels.