Couple Gives Up Wedding Fund to Save Injured Dog: ‘She Deserved a Chance’

Instead of walking down the aisle, Dylan McCay and his fiancée Emily Roberts chose a different kind of commitment — saving the life of a badly injured dog.

On October 31, the couple came across a heartbreaking Facebook post about a Goldendoodle found by the roadside, severely injured in a hit-and-run accident. Without hesitation, McCay drove 20 minutes through the rain to find the pup — shivering, soaked, and bleeding from what appeared to be two broken back legs. They later named her Acklin.

“I grabbed towels and blankets and rushed over,” McCay shared. “She was coughing, shivering, and barely moving.”

Acklin was immediately taken to Greenbrier Animal Hospital, where veterinarians confirmed both of her hind legs were fractured. With no microchip and no one claiming responsibility, the financial burden fell entirely on the couple.

“Right then, we knew — we’d do whatever it took to help her,” they wrote on Facebook. “She deserved a chance.”

The cost for Acklin’s reconstructive surgery came to an overwhelming $10,000–$15,000. And so, Dylan and Emily made an extraordinary decision: they emptied their wedding fund and life savings to cover her medical bills.

“We’re not sad about it,” the couple wrote. “We’re joyful — because we get to give this sweet girl a new chance at life.”

Their journey didn’t stop there. They hope to care for Acklin long term and have launched a GoFundMe to help with the ongoing costs of her recovery and rehabilitation.

In an update posted on November 5, the couple shared some good news: Acklin’s surgery was a success, and she’ll soon begin rehab.

“Our girl is healing — and it’s all thanks to those who believed she was worth saving,” they wrote. “Her therapy will be costly, but we’re doing everything we can to give her the life she deserves.”