Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

I just love how that rolls off the tongue, inspiring heroic images of Saturday afternoon serials.

Rix is a survivor of the Yulin dog meat festival in China, and was rescued from a cramped cage on a truck headed to the slaughterhouse by some brave and loving people who I can't be more grateful to. He was wounded, so skinny, and his left hind leg had been very badly broken at some time and left to heal on its own. We're not sure how it happened, but it's not hard to imagine all kinds of scenarios, which I'll leave to you. The limb is useless now, and hangs as dead weight, getting in the way and causing some chronic pain that he won't often show but I can see.

He spent some months in hospital before going home with a series of foster carers in Shanghai while the rescue group over there tried to find a permanent home for him. After a year, a rescue group here in Ontario, Canada, took him and a couple others from his group, and it was a Facebook post I saw from them that first got my attention.

You see, I am a retired paramedic with post-traumatic stress disorder, and have been struggling with its effects for many years. I saw in this little guy and his story a colleague, a peer, and maybe a new partner. I'd thought about a service dog that I could work together with, a mutually beneficial relationship, but it wasn't a fancy vest or doggie access to Walmart that I really needed. What I needed was this fella, and he needed me. We met on a bright and warm Saturday afternoon in early June, maybe two weeks after he'd arrived here in Canada, and he has not left my side since.

He slept through Canada Day fireworks that had me hiding under my pillows, and right now is napping while a thunderstorm rages outside. He is so calm, and if he was any more laid back he'd be wearing Ray-Bans and smoking a big fattie. He is teaching me his Zen ways in return for belly rubs and kibble.

He gets around fine now, has adapted well to using three legs, but because of the injuries and potential for future health issues and trauma, we're going to have the disabled leg removed. He has amputation surgery scheduled for this coming Wednesday. As sure as I am that he'll be fine, I will be a mess.

Some fine friends pointed me to Tripawds and I've been lurking for a bit before finally deciding to register and post this Hello World story. I've gleaned some ideas and encouragement already, and hope to glean much more in the future!