STARKVILLE, Miss. (WJTV) – A young Arkansas couple drove 330 miles to Mississippi State’s Animal Health Center in order to help an injured Goldendoodle.
According to Dylan McCay and Emily Roberts, the 10-month-old puppy was hit by a car and left stranded on Acklin Road in Conway, Arkansas. They saw a social media post about the dog and drove a short distance to hep the abandoned puppy.
“Her temperament was wonderful. I had my hazard lights on, got out and she was trying to scoot over toward me,” McCay said. “She put her head on my lap as I’m trying to call emergency hospitals. The whole time, she’s just wanted to be loved on.”
In the pouring rain on Halloween night, McCay loaded the Goldendoodle, now named Maple, into his car. Both of her hind leg femurs were fractured and exposed, one entirely coated with mud.
The couple rushed Maple to Greenbrier Animal Hospital in Conway where Dr. Eric Schrand, a 2022 MSU Doctor of Veterinary Medicine graduate, recognized the severity of the puppy’s injuries and called MSU. After unsuccessfully trying to admit Maple to surgeons in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee, Schrand urged the couple to drive more than 330 miles for care at his alma mater.
“We were just going to do it,” Roberts said. “We tried a few local places, but a lot of places were closed, or they weren’t the most competent to do the surgery that needed to be done. We felt like it was something that needed to be done right for her quality of life.”
MSU College of Veterinary Medicine Chief of Small Animal Surgery Dr. Michael Jaffe and second-year surgical resident Dr. Weston Beamon spoke to Schrand in Conway, who had originally suggested amputation due to the open-fracture wounds and possibility of infection. Jaffe and Beamon went into the five-hour surgery with the mindset to save both legs. After piecing the legs together with five screws, two pins and one bone plate in each leg, the surgery was successfully completed.
The couple used their wedding funds on Maple’s surgery.
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Emily Roberts and Dylan McCay celebrate Maple’s recovery at Mississippi State’s Animal Health Center. McCay and Roberts found Maple on the side of the road after being hit by a car on Oct. 31. The Conway, Arkansas, couple drove to MSU for an extensive surgery to repair her hind legs, which had open fractures to both femurs. After three weeks of rehabilitation and physical therapy, McCay and Roberts reunited with Maple to bring her home. (Photo by Amelia Andersson via MSU) -
Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine and MSU Animal Health Center faculty and students prevented a puppy’s leg amputation with a five-hour surgery. After piecing the legs together with five screws, two pins and one bone plat in each leg, the Goldendoodle will walk and have a normal life. From left, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine third-year student William Greer of Poplarville, Certified Veterinary Technician Ashlee Reed, 10-month-old Goldendoodle Maple, and MSU Surgical Resident Dr. Weston Beamon. (Photo by Tom Thompson via MSU) -
Dylan McCay walks Maple around Mississippi State’s Wise Center, home of the College of Veterinary Medicine, after picking her up from MSU’s Animal Health Center. CVM faculty performed an extensive five-hour surgery repairing Maple’s hindlegs after she was hit by a car. After more than three weeks, McCay and his fiancé Emily Roberts picked up Maple to bring her home to Conway, Arkansas. (Photo by Amelia Andersson via MSU) -
Mississippi State’s Animal Health Center reunites Maple with her owners. From left, MSU Chief of Small Animal Surgery Dr. Michael Jaffe, Dylan McCay, Maple, Emily Roberts, third-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student Will Greer of Poplarville and Surgical Resident Dr. Alex Chu. (Photo by Amelia Andersson via MSU) -
MSU Surgical Resident Dr. Weston Beamon, right, comforts Goldendoodle Maple after a successful surgery to repair two broken femurs in her hind legs. Third-year DVM student William Greer of Poplarville and Certified Veterinary Technician Ashlee Reed assist in stabilizing Maple post-surgery. (Photo by Tom Thompson via MSU) -
MSU CVM Chief of Small Animal Surgery Dr. Michael Jaffe says goodbye to his patient Maple after more than three weeks of working on her case. Maple’s owners, Dylan McCay and Emily Roberts, met with the CVM medical team and picked up their puppy from MSU’s Animal Health Center on Sunday [Nov. 24] to bring her home to Conway, Arkansas. (Photo by Amelia Andersson via MSU)
“She was walking on both legs two days after surgery,” Jaffe said. “She’s a tough little girl. She’s getting stronger now and building that muscle back. She’s got a long way to go, but she’s going to do it.”
Since finding Maple, McCay and Roberts have put their wedding planning on hold, but they still hope to get married in spring 2026. To offset Maple’s nearly $15,000 in surgical costs, the couple set up a GoFundMe page.