Our beautiful Mani passed peacefully to the Bridge on February 11. Her passing was much too early for one so young. The virus she contracted so early in her life was not forgiving and raged on to other areas causing Mani much pain and difficulty.

We, at Shar-Pei Savers, send our heartfelt thanks to each of you had a special part in Mani's life; those who contributed to Mani's care, those who gave monetary support and encouragement, those who spent countless hours in research and those who whispered special prayers on her behalf. I wish each of you could have known her personally, her never ending tail wags, her strength of spirit and her determination. She was an amazing girl and will always be a part of us through her constant reminder of courage. The void she leaves will be felt for a lifetime.

Meet Mani

We’d like for you to meet Miss Mani. As you view Mani’s pictures, we realize it will be difficult to put her physical appearance aside as you read about who Mani is, but we hope you will read her story and be moved by how Mani has changed the lives of those who have met her and been taken in by her charm, her zest for life and her amazing outlook.

Mani has a condition called Viral Papillomas. It’s a very contagious virus for dogs, but does not affect humans. Mani has had this condition for more than half of her life.

Viral Papillomas in layman’s terms are warts. For young, healthy dogs, the virus usually goes away in 2 to 6 weeks. However, for Mani, the virus continued to grow. When first seen by a vet for her condition, Mani was given a poor choice of treatment and the virus literally exploded with the growth accelerating at a rapid pace.
Mani was due to be euthanized when we received word of her.

We believe because of Mani’s age, her willingness to allow us to treat her condition and most of all her unbelievable life force, we had to give Mani the chance she so desperately needed. She has let us know daily that she will do all it takes on her part, and we will do the same.

We were so blessed and fortunate to find a wonderful veterinarian by the name of Dr. Donn Griffith, in Columbus, Ohio, (www.drdonn.com) who was immediately taken in by Mani’s charms too. He is very optimistic that we can find a way to help Mani lead a normal life. Dr. Griffith has been quite open in stating Mani may always have some warts, but not be contagious. That is our hope and our goal; to get Mani to the point she will be able to be in a home getting full time love and attention.

We are keeping a journal of Mani’s care, treatments, etc. and are hoping that Mani will be able to educate those in the medical community who have not worked with the virus on this scale sharing the treatments and protocol so that others may not have to take Mani’s journey. If you would like any of our information on Mani’s care please let one of the Board Members at Shar-Pei Savers know. We’d be glad to share any information regarding her treatment.

Mani is still very much a puppy and loves to do things puppies do. However, because she lives in isolation, due to being contagious, she is unable to do many of these things. Mani doesn’t let this get in her way of enjoying life to the max. She runs on lead, she prances around “her” yard, she holds her head high and plays just like any other young pup would play, and she eats like a horse! She is teaching us all many life lessons. Her energy level, inner strength and ability to look beyond her illness are nothing short of amazing.

It is apparent that Mani’s medical expenses are going to very high. We know that this is going to be a very long road to wholeness. Mani has had this condition for over 7 months and although we’d like to see her healed tomorrow, we realize it’s going to take many, many months of treatments before we see the light at the end of the tunnel for Mani. We are committed to her ongoing care and will be holding several special fundraisers to help defray some of the costs. We are praying that others will contribute to Mani’s cause too. We cannot let money be the determining factor in whether or not Mani receives the care she desperately needs. We will find a way.

We have already had several “Friends of Mani” offer their knowledge, support and talents to help Mani. To these special people, we are eternally grateful. They have given us the ability to continue when we felt very much alone”

You cannot walk away from Mani without knowing she possesses something very special that flows from within. Please keep Mani in your prayers on her road to recovery.

*The first picture of Mani was taken the morning of her first appt. with Dr. Griffith’s on 12/09/04. The 2nd picture is after her 4 day stay at the clinic. The 3rd picture is the inside of Mani’s mouth that was taken on 12/30/04.

Mani's Guardian Angels

We thank them for their care, concern, and generosity! Please click here for a list of Mani's Miracle Workers.