He’s already made the rounds on our socials, but now it’s time for him to make his grand debut on the FBRN foster page. It’s Mercury!

Mercury’s previous family made the selfless decision to surrender him after realizing they could not afford the extensive medical care that will be necessary for this sweet boy to live a happy, healthy life. Mercury’s airway is severely compromised by brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), and he was rushed to the vet after suffering a respiratory event that left him barely able to breathe. Thanks to the FBRN Pawspital Fund and the generous support of our donors, we were able to pay for Mercury’s emergency care, which involved recovery inside an oxygen tent. Mercury was recently discharged from the vet and is feeling much better, but he will need to undergo complex BOAS surgery in the near future to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again. We are so grateful to our supporters for funding this lifesaving care!

While he awaits surgery, four-year-old Mercury (a.k.a. “Meatball”) is enjoying the good life and soaking up lots of love from his devoted foster mom. And believe us when we say there is a lot of him to love, as this thicc boy weighs in at an impressive 43 pounds! (“I’m just big-boned,” says Mercury.) Mercury is an affectionate boy who loves to romp about, but his activity level must be kept low until he has his surgery. This means that Mercury spends a lot of time snoozing, during which time his snores are loud enough to shake the walls. Endearing, yes, but definitely not healthy! We can’t wait for him to have his airway surgery, so he no longer struggles to breathe and can do zoomies to his heart’s content.

Said surgery is going to cost a pretty penny (upwards of $4,000), so if you’re able to throw some proverbial bones toward our resident big boi Mercury, it would be deeply appreciated. He will be sure to thank you with a wiggle of his stumpy tail and an earth-shattering snort!