It's November, and that means Thanksgiving in the USA. And even with tough economic times and killer storms assailing us, most of us have a lot to be thankful for.

Toward the head of the list of those who have cause for thanks is a little dachshund named Camille … Cammy to her friends, and that includes pretty much everyone who has met her or seen her photo.

Found as a stray, taken to a shelter, then rescued back in May by Judy W. on behalf of Dachshund Rescue of America, this little girl was full of fleas and huddled miserably. And what were the chances that someone would come in and adopt a little humpbacked dog? Close enough to zero for all practical purposes.

The first stop for Cammy after her deliverance was at the office of an orthopedic surgeon, who determined that her humped back was the result of a birth defect. And that brings up a question. Various vets who have seen her have estimated her age at anywhere from three to seven. Clearly, she could not have survived in the wild that long. So someone must have taken care of her. How, then, did she find herself on the street? And what became of her guardian, who, from all evidence, did a halfway decent job of taking care of her? Chances are that we will never know.

Soon after she was rescued, it was clear that she had another problem. She displayed a tremor, and when she would try to shake herself she would fall over. Pursuing that problem meant a trip to the North Carolina State Veterinary School for an MRI. The doctors there found some mild atrophy in her brain. That's a condition that will have to be watched.

Judy took a few measurements of Cammy and sent them, along with a photo, to Dachshund Delights. We sent back a couple Hug-A-Dog® harnesses. Judy was amazed that the harnesses fit perfectly. Because we know that no project is beyond the abilities of our head seamstress, Helene, we weren't even slightly surprised. (Shamelessly Proud Plug: Many harnesses you can buy are made in Asian sweatshops. Our shop gets a little warm sometimes, but it's not sweaty, and it's right here in Ohio. And our people are the best.)

Cammy gets along quite well. Her vets say she is free of pain, and, based on watching her every day, Judy agrees. She loves other animals, and she loves to snuggle at night with her family. The one thing she doesn't have yet is much motion in her tail. And Foster Mom Judy would really love a wag before she sends Cammy off to the lucky family that will some day adopt her. We hope she gets this wish fulfilled.

In the meantime, Cammy will get all the love and care she needs. And for a dog that needs MRIs, that care isn't cheap. If you click this link, you can see a slideshow of photos, as well as read more about the sweet little girl. You will also notice a PayPal link at the bottom of the page. DRNA survives on the generosity of dachshund lovers. Dogs like Cammy would be lost without them and other organizations like them. If you want to share a bit this holiday, take a look at the photo of Cammy below and consider sharing with her.

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