OU Children's Hospital Doctors Save Stuffed Animal For Former Patient

Many parents out there know it's going to be a bad day in your house when the dog gets to your child's stuffed animal.

Lots of tears and perhaps lots of yelling and screaming.

For 9-year-old Zach Yanch who got his stuffed husky after surgery at OU Children’s Hospital from a program called "Puppy Love," and he was devastated to find Stuffy with injuries to both his eyes and nose.

"We have the little puppy that has an orbital floor fracture and a contusion to the external jugular that we are going to repair,” Dr. Randy Stroud said.

"Last week, his mom had called me and said stuffy had been injured by the family dog," said Belinda Anderson with OU Children’s Hospital.

"Puppies that come in and play with other puppies, they sometimes play hard and then they get little injuries sometimes and that's why they come to the hospital and then we fix them,” Stroud said.

Zach wanted to make sure Stuffy had a friend during surgery.

"Zach asked for one of our therapy dogs Targa to accompany him,” Anderson said.

Fortunately for the little stuffed husky, he didn't need too many stitches either.

“We are waiting on the status of his condition right now, but everything is looking really, really good,” Anderson said.

At last check, Stuffy is out of the hospital and back home with his family and friends in good condition.