It was the holiday season. While some families and their pets were huddled beside a fire, opening Christmas presents and drinking egg nog, a very different story unfolding in an alley in Los Angeles.

It was early Christmas morning when a vet tech from Animal Medical Center, driving in her car, noticed something odd moving in an alley. When she approached, she noticed a female Dachshund mix barely moving. She was clearly left in the alley, hidden from sight to die. She had nothing but a cardboard box and a small blanket to keep her warm. It wasn’t helping much. It was unclear how long she had been there, shivering and alone. Maybe hours, maybe days. The vet tech knew immediately that this dog was in dire need of medical attention. The dog was convulsing uncontrollably. Her time was almost up.

The vet tech picked her up and took her to Animal Medical Center, where staff members had mere moments to save her life. The doctors and staff assumed all the costs to help her. They lovingly named her Luz, meaning “light” in Spanish.

Dr. Courtney Campbell was one of the first vets to see Luz. He did his best to figure out how to treat Luz despite not knowing her medical history. She was quickly deteriorating. But by a miracle and some immediate medical attention, Luz slowly took a turn for the better.

By the second day, Luz’s seizures had stopped. Within a week, she started to walk. After a month of treatment at Animal Medical Center, she was running. Two months later, Luz was cured of the mystery ailment that had plagued her. Luz was healthy enough to go home –- except she didn’t have one.

Luz ended up living at the Animal Medical Center, becoming a staff favorite. Yet, an animal hospital is not a fit permanent home for a dog. She needed to find a home of her own. She needed a human of her own. Eight months after her terrible ordeal, a woman named Felicia came into her life.

Felicia took to Luz immediately. Felicia did not expect to adopt a dog from her veterinarian that day, but who can resist an adorable Dachshund? Luz, now named Olivia, has found a perfect home. Now she jumps for treats, and for joy. On that Christmas Day a miracle happened in that alley, and that miracle was Luz.

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