LEEDS, Maine — Growing up with a dog in Maine is a special experience. That's something 17-year-old Ali Dening of Leeds knows first-hand.
Since 2016, her German Shorthaired Pointer "Moki" has been by her side for "literally everything," indicating the phrase "man's best friend" may, in fact, be true.
"We’ve been going for runs, I think, as long as we’ve had her," Ali said, noting they tack up three to six miles every day when she gets home from school. "She rides in the back of a four-wheeler and puts her head on your shoulder and sniffs the wind as you go by."
Moki hasn't been able to be quite as active recently, though, after a freak injury. Ali said over a weekend at the beginning of April, she and her family heard Moki making sounds of pain after jumping off of the couch.
"She [was] whining and yelping, and she [was] having trouble standing on her own. She [would] like go between our legs and use our legs to stand up," Ali said.
The Denings took Moki to the animal hospital, first in Auburn and then in Scarborough. The veterinarian told them Moki had something called intervertebral disc disease and would need surgery, but it couldn't be done until Monday. By that point, it was too late, and Moki was paralyzed from the waist down.
Ali said her family thought they were going to have to put Moki down when they went to see her two days after the surgery.
"I obviously cried a lot," Ali said.
When they got there, though, Ali said they saw a "glimmer" of Moki's personality shine through her injured state.
"We knew that she still wanted to live," Ali said.
The Denings brought Moki home about two weeks ago, and the journey has been anything but easy. Moki has to stay in a kennel when the family isn't home, which is something Ali said she despises, having been trained as an athletic hunting dog. Ali's father, Scott, said Moki has made some progress, though.
"She’s starting to get some right leg control back. The other day, she was actually able to bring her leg up to the side," Scott said, later adding, "She’s a fighter. So, we want to try to give her that chance."
That chance has been an expensive one. Ali and Scott said with a $14,000 surgery, a 10-day stay at the animal hospital at $1,000 per night, and multiple other fees, they're facing a hefty $30,000 bill.
Ali has started a GoFundMe account to try to help her family.
"I don’t think you can put a price tag on how much Moki means to my family and to me," Ali said.
Ali said she hopes they can raise more than their goal amount. If they do, she said she wants to start a fund for the Maine Veterinary Medical Center in Scarborough to help people like them who have badly injured pets but may not be able to afford their care.
"Animals like this can create such a bond. They can help people so much," Scott said.
Ali has started social media pages for Moki to explain more about her journey. You can find details on Facebook and Instagram.