Waukesha animal shelter raising funds for puppy's heart surgery

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County (HAWS) is asking for the public's help to raise funds for life-saving surgery for a puppy in the shelter's care.

The 11-week-old, mixed-breed puppy is named Daffodil and she arrived at HAWS from Texas recently.

Daffodil has been diagnosed with severe pulmonic stenosis. According to HAWS, one of the valves connecting her heart to her lungs does not open completely, which in turn keeps her heart from functioning properly.

"We did find right away that this poor little puppy, 11 weeks old, has a grade 5 heart murmur," Jennifer Smieja of HAWS told CBS 58. "Without surgery, her prognosis is not good, chances are she would maybe make it to a year of age, if that long."

HAWS says Daffodil's surgery is scheduled for May 31 and before then, the organization is aiming to raise $7,000 for the specialized procedure in Minnesota. The money will cover Daffodil's medical and day-to-day care, transportation and resulting veterinary bills.

"Within the first 24, 48 hours of us having this fundraiser set up we've had some really great response, but then we did need to step it up a little bit," Smieja said.

You can donate to the "Bloomin' for Daffodil" campaign through HAWS' Facebook page by clicking here, or through their website, by clicking here. 

"She's such a sweet pup, knowing that she absolutely deserves this chance to live a long, healthy life, we want to give her that," Smieja said.