Fiona is only about six weeks old but in her very short life span, the miniature pinscher has touched the hearts of many people.

Was it just a fluke the injured puppy was left in a cardboard box on top of Rocio Calderon’s car July 21 in the parking lot of Bel-Aire Plaza? Calderon, a veterinary technician at Frontier Pet Clinic in Napa, found the tiny critter whose two front legs had been severely broken and took immediate action to help the puppy.

“I really don’t think whomever left Fiona on the roof of my car knew I worked at a vet’s office. I took Fiona to another pet clinic on Sunday and they told me they thought her injuries were so bad that she should just be put down,” said Calderon. “I just couldn’t accept that, so I took her to work with me on Monday. They took X-rays and although things did not look good for her, they were not going to put her down.”

Fiona was scheduled for surgery last Friday. Her right leg was broken in two places and her left front leg was severely broken at the elbow. The vets didn’t know if they could save her left front leg, but were willing to do the surgery at their own expense to save the puppy.

Dr. Carl Koehler, a specialist from UC Davis and Dr. Elise Brandwajn with Frontier Pet Clinic performed the four-hour surgery on the pint-sized canine.

Brandwajn said Fiona came through with flying colors.

“We put three pins in her left elbow. We are feeling good that we will be able to save her arm. She might end up with a limp, but all in all she is doing really well. She has a pain control patch. It’s the same thing that is used for cancer patients,” Brandwajn said. “We will be monitoring her and within four to six weeks we will start her with physical therapy.”

The cost of the surgery is about $4,400, said Brandwajn.

Pet Food Express in Bel-Aire Plaza is pitching in to help with the cost.

The business sells tokens that can be used to bathe pets at the store.

On Sunday, all of the those proceeds will be donated to the Fiona fund, said store manager Amy Vargas.

“We also have a collection box on the register counter where customer can donate their change to help out with expenses for Fiona,” Vargas said. “We wanted to do what we could to help out because it just seemed to be the right thing to do.”

Brandwajn isn’t too worried about Fiona finding a good home.

Although she is not sure how the puppy was injured, she said her sweet disposition and loving face will certainly win over the hearts of many adoptive pet owners.

“How could anyone not just want to scoop up this adorable little thing and take her home,” she said, while Fiona responded by generously giving her lots of sloppy kisses.

Donations may also be made at the Frontier Pet Clinic, 1119 Third Ave., Napa.