Couple Gives Up Their Wedding Plans to Save a Stray Dog’s Life
Dylan McCay and Emily Roberts had set aside money for their wedding—but those plans went out the window when they chose to help an injured dog.
Dylan had just gotten off work when he saw a Facebook post about a dog that had been hit by a car and left by the side of the road. He drove out to the location and found a Goldendoodle crawling into a driveway, her two rear legs likely broken.
“It had been raining all day and she was wet. I gathered towels and blankets and sped to the location,” Dylan wrote on Facebook about the Goldendoodle, who is now named Maple. “Her back legs were both covered in blood and appeared broken… She was shivering and coughing.”
Dylan wasn’t sure how she would react when he approached her but despite her severe injuries, Maple just wanted to be comforted. She didn’t growl, bark, or bite as Dylan drove her to the local animal hospital.
There, he learned that the impact had broken the femurs in both of Maple’s back legs. Since she wasn’t microchipped, Dylan and Emily had to make a decision: would they pay for her surgery?
“[We] decided in that moment that I would do whatever was necessary to help this puppy. She deserved a chance at life,” he wrote.
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Initially, the couple thought the surgeries would cost around $7,000—but the final total came to $14,000. They used the money they had set aside for their wedding, along with some of their life savings, to help her. They even drove Maple from Arkansas to Mississippi State’s Animal Health Center for the specialized surgery she needed. Just days after the operation, Maple was walking on both legs.
“I broke out in tears when the surgery was over,” Emily said in a news release from MSU. “It went OK—it went more than OK. Once they told us both legs were fixed and she would be as good as new, it was amazing. It felt like a miracle.”
The couple later tracked down Maple’s original owner, who explained that the dog had run away during a Halloween storm and that they had been planning to rehome her. The owner relinquished their rights, and Dylan and Emily officially adopted Maple.
A few months later, Maple underwent another surgery to remove the plates from her legs after her bones had fully healed.
As word of their selfless act spread, the couple raised funds through GoFundMe to cover Maple’s surgeries.
“It’s been unbelievable, and we feel really blessed,” Emily said. “We’re in a constant state of shock and very thankful. It’s beautiful to see that people care about our story and love Maple just as much as we do.”
Now, Maple is a beloved member of their family—and will no doubt be part of their wedding when the time comes…in April of 2026.
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