Woman thought she’d hit the jackpot when she got a mixed-breed puppy for free — but a shocking twist weeks later cost her $5,000 in vet bills

The owner said she loved her dog but had decided that free dogs would be a no-go in the future.

PUBLISHED 2 DAYS AGO

(L) A woman and her puppy, (R) Veterinary Bill Payment form. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) Thanasis Zovoilis, (R) glegorly)

A woman was over the moon when she got a free puppy. But as the saying goes, "Everything comes with a cost." While she did not have to pay a dime for the pet purchase, she was soon paying $5,000 out of her pocket in vet bills. Kayleigh, who hails from Wichita, Kansas, got Athena, a shepsky mix, who was the most adorable puppy she’d ever seen. A mix of Husky and German Shepherd, Athena was born in April and was handed over to Kayleigh at only a few weeks old. The first few weeks together were a breeze, then the owner’s good fortune took a turn for the worse.

Puppy sleeping in a crate. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Os Tartarouchos.

In a viral TikTok post shared on Athena’s official page, @midwestshepsky, the owner narrated the unfortunate series of events that unfolded within a few weeks of having the puppy. The second photo showed a slightly grown Athena while Kayleigh wrote that her bottle feeding was done. She was now old enough for a vet visit and seemed obsessed with her stuffed toy. However, the fourth picture disclosed that Athena had ripped her “cornea out,” causing a severe injury in her left eye. One day, the dog heard fireworks go off while in her kennel, and the panic led to the incident, as reported by Newsweek.

A vet treating a dog (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Tima Miroshnichenko)

Athena was advised to see the vet every week to help monitor her condition. Over time, the pup had endured quite a lot, as she was still blind in her left eye. Life continued, and she developed a knack for training. Weeks later, the owner noticed strange spots on Athena’s body and problems in her ear. It resulted in another round of emergency vet visits. “18 weeks and looks like a zombie and has me almost $5,000 in vet bills between once weekly vet trips, shots, ER trips, stitches, and sedation,” an overlay text on one of the photos hinted. Athena was seen wearing a pet cone and looked unwell.

Medical treatment expense on bill statement - Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by utah778

"Love her, but free dogs will be a no-go from here on out,” Kayleigh admitted in the caption of the post with 621,800 views. Even though she was on pet insurance, the owner claimed that it was “maxed out” after so many emergencies. She joked about wrapping her dog up in bubble wrap to prevent any more injuries in the future and reduce vet expenses. According to the source, Athena was placed on anxiety medication, and her health problems have decreased ever since. The owner noted that her pet dog’s anxiousness may have been a catalyst for the injuries.

A person paying out of their wallet. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Karolina Grabowska)

The TikTok post was liked by over 32,400 people, while others took to the comments to share their reactions on the owner’s costly experience. “It’s the free ones that cost the most,” chimed in @annasays.hey, and @sgt.al68 added, “A free pet is one of the most expensive things you ever have. Totally worth it though.” Fellow pet owners assembled under the post to recall similar experiences. “Paid $250 for mine. Got diabetes. Now costs 100 per week for food and medication (plus vaccines, heartworm appointments, etc.)," wrote @shannaredwind.

You can follow @midwestshepsky on TikTok for more videos.