They come into the shelters forlorn and malnourished, some with heartworm or other infections, others with shattered limbs or in need of emergency surgery, like the four-and-a-half-hour open-heart surgery performed on a shelter dog from New Mexico. The Foundation recently entered new territory, funding sign language instruction for a dog and her adoptive family. Rescued from a sad situation, the sweet-natured Australian cattle dog mix was quickly adopted, but then returned to the shelter when the family discovered she was deaf. To be successfully adopted, both the dog and new family would need sign language training to communicate. The Wags and Menace Make a Difference Foundation stepped in with funding, because some medical emergencies require an innovative approach, outside the operating room.