09/19/2026
Meet Tacoma.
Tacoma was found in a Toyota parking lot in Conroe after being hit by a car, leaving him with a severely broken pelvis. The amazing staff at Conroe Animal Shelter took him to another veterinary facility, where it quickly became clear that this baby needed more care than they could provide.
Insert our amazing team here at HMVS.
We repaired his pelvis in two different places and started him on the road to recovery—or so we thought.
After three days in the hospital, our skilled nurses noticed something was off. Tacoma began to take a turn for the worse. Despite efforts to stabilize him, we discovered he had developed a septic abdomen and needed another life-saving surgery.
During that second surgery, we found a devastating injury—part of his intestines were black and gray, with a small perforation leaking intestinal contents into his abdomen. We resected 10-12 inches of intestine and got him put back together. He must have experienced significant trauma to cause injuries like this.
Tacoma was placed in the ICU at HMVS with 24-hour care and a dedicated nurse in the days that followed. With an abdominal drain, IV fluids, a whole-blood transfusion, and a feeding tube from his nose to his stomach, he slowly started to perk up. His bloodwork slightly improved, he gained strength, and he even began walking again. All signs pointed toward recovery.
Tacoma gave us a good three days… before he suddenly declined again.
Within 30 minutes of his morning potty break on Monday, he went from walking outside and wagging his tail to lying in his ICU nest, writhing in pain.
Our team acted quickly to keep him comfortable and had to have a difficult conversation. The odds were stacked against him—but if the choice was between letting him go or going back to surgery to see if there was anything we could do, it wasn’t really a choice at all.
We had to try.
We said our loving goodbyes—just in case—and placed him under anesthesia for his third surgery.
Thankfully, what we found was repairable. Now, it was up to Tacoma.
Getting him to eat consistently—and actually absorb and retain that nutrition—was critical.
And now… here we are.
Just 5 days after his last surgery, Tacoma is getting better every day. Thankfully, we finally seem to be out of the woods.
He’ll continue recovering here at HMVS for a short time before moving into a foster home. (Though if we’re being honest, we all fell in love and would happily keep him.) Through everything, he has never stopped giving kisses or wagging his tail. His spirit has never wavered, despite the incredibly unfair hand he was dealt.
Tacoma is an approximately 1-year-old Heinz 57 mutt who would love to be part of your family—snuggling, giving sweet face kisses, and eventually running and playing… just not in traffic, and not until he’s medically cleared.
If you’re interested in fostering or adopting Tacoma, please reach out to Conroe Animal Shelter or stop by to meet him if you’re in the area.
And finally, a huge shoutout to our AMAZING team. We may be small, but we are mighty—and we love our patients with every inch of our souls.
