Ellie's Story: Expanding Access to Care
Five years of growth hasn't just meant a bigger network; its meant giving surgeons access to options they didn't have before, sometimes for an entire country, and connecting them to the surgeons who paved the way.
That access changes what's possible for the very first patient who receives it. To celebrate five years of Movora, we're sharing five stories, including the dog who became one of Canada's firsts: Ellie.
Ellie earned the nickname “Miss Canada” for becoming the first dog in the country to receive a medial elbow replacement, performed by Dr. PJ Rocheleau's team at Espanola Vet.
Life didn't start out easy for her. Ellie was three months old when she was rescued from a large SPCA puppy mill seizure in Northern Ontario, an operation Dr. Rocheleau personally attended. She’d been living outside in harsh conditions, and many of the other puppies from that seizure didn't survive long enough to be rescued.
Ellie was transferred to the Sudbury SPCA branch along with one brother. With her sweet temperament, she was adopted quickly and lived in the Sudbury area from then on.
Ellie was diagnosed with hip and elbow dysplasia at one year old, and her condition was medically managed for years until it became clear she would need a surgical solution.
Following her medial elbow replacement at her nine-week recheck, Ellie looked fantastic, it was a strong sign her recovery was progressing exactly as hoped and full mobility was not far behind.
Ellie faced many obstacles in living a pain-free life, but thanks to a successful medial elbow replacement, she became a pioneer for the procedure in Canada.
"Dogs like ellie are the reason why our team has worked so hard to bring this surgical option to Canada, and we look forward to helping more dogs with elbow dysplasia get back to their active lives!" — Dr. PJ Rocheleau, Espanola Vet
Meet the Trailblazers
Dr. PJ Rocheleau
DVM, CCRT
Espanola Vet
Ontario, Canada
Dr. PJ Rocheleau pictured with his team.
Stories like Ellie's are exactly why this anniversary is about more than five years of Movora; it's five years of helping surgeons bring new surgical options to the patients who need them most. Our thanks go to Dr. Rocheleau and his team at Espanola Vet for giving Ellie, and the dogs who followed, a chance at a more mobile life.
This story is part of our 5 Years, 5 Stories series, celebrating five years of Movora and the surgeons, pet parents, and patients who make our work matter.
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