Basset Hound Puppy Owes His Life To One Mays Landing, NJ Woman

You wouldn't know it if you saw him today, but the most adorable little basset hound puppy almost didn't make it to see his first birthday.

Thanks to one Mays Landing woman and a Cincinnati veterinarian's open mind, the pup is here to stay. It all started when the president of Tri-State Basset Hound Rescue was contacted by a college student who couldn't afford medical bills for his little basset puppy. Valerie Mazzei said in a recent interview that when the teen reached out, she could tell that he really did want what was best for the dog and was devastated that the student couldn't provide the care that was necessary to save the poor pup's life.

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Apparently, the dog was facing some puzzling heart issues that would cause it to race and then as a a result, the dog would fall over. After the pup was surrendered to Mazzei, she immediately consulted a vet regarding Jar Jar's condition. What a cute name, right? There ya go, Star Wars lovers.

The medications Jar Jar was given didn't work long-term, and it wasn't until consulting with a veterinarian in Ocean County that Mazzei was made aware of a procedure that would ultimately save his life. Dr. Ryan Keegan told Mazzei about a vet in Cincinnati that was successful at replicating a procedure normally done on humans to combat this issue. In fact, Dr. Wright, the Cincinnati-based veterinary cardiologist, experienced almost a 100% success rate with it. So, off they went to Ohio where Jar Jar got a radio frequency catheter ablation that fixed the heart muscle that wasn't pumping correctly.

Mazzei says that in the months since the issue was fixed, Jar Jar's personality has really blossomed. Jar Jar's still here all thanks to kindness and compassion shown from another one of South Jersey's giant hearts.

We asked you to submit some of the cutest pets in South Jersey. Did yours make the list? Check it out:

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