It’s not every day that a fifteen year-old Tripawd celebrates her three year ampuversary!

Yes, you read that right: September marks our friend Calpurnia’s three year ampuversary after losing her leg to a soft tissue sarcoma. Wooo hooo Cali, congratulations!

As a working sled dog, Calpurnia has not only survived a spiral fracture that took plates and screws to repair, she has lived life on three legs as beautifully has she ever did on four.

She runs! She plays! She sprints!

And she’s the girl who caught my eye.

Cali also happens to be one of our earliest Tripawds members (from a time when we didn’t even have Discussion Forums).

Yes, Calpurnia is especially dear to our hearts.

This winter, Cali the Queen is heading to Alaska, to live as an Alaskan sled dog. Can life get any better?
May this very special working girl live life to the fullest in the great white north, and continue inspiring all of us for a long, long time!

Three cheers for Calpurnia! Hip! Hip! Hoooooorrrraaaaay!

Can you believe there are just 26 more days of summer left? This means it’s time for your and your Tripawd to hit the open road!

For those of you who take road trips with your Tripawd, what advice do you have for new Tripawd pawrents?

Share your top 3 Tripawd travel tips, and you can win a complimentary goody bag from the nice people at Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul!

For example, our top 3 travel tips are:

1. Wear a Ruff Wear Harness for easy lifting in and out of vehicles, and preparing you for unexpected surfaces.
2. Carry plenty of water no matter where you’re headed. These portable travel bowls make watering time easy.
3. Remember to stop and smell the roses!

This contest is easy:

• Write your top 3 Tripawds Travel Tips below or in the related discussion forum topic, no later than Sunday, September 5th.
• Tripawds Spokesdawg Wyatt Ray will pick a winner at 6pm Labor Day, Monday, September 6th.
• Sorry, only U.S. residents can participate.

Please note that Tripawds doesn’t receive compensation for these contests. The Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul people just want to get the word out about their highly-rated prepared kibble, and we think freebies from makers of quality dog products are cool! Check out their Facebook Page to see what others have to say about it.

On August 7th, Colorado Tripawds pawtied in Longmont for our second annual three legged dog festival o’ fun.

Despite the blazing hot summer morning, over a dozen Tripawds, honorary Tripawds and their humans came out in force to show the world that life is good on three legs!

Watch for videos with some of the Tripawds who attended. As seen from the photos below, we have great footage.

But meanwhile, here’s a great article and video from the Boulder Daily Camera.

The morning was spent swapping tails of heroic fights against bone cancer, car accidents and remembering those special Tripawds who live on in our hearts.

For some pack members it was their second time attending. For others, we got to meet them for the first time, like Tripawd Sambuca’s pack!

Molly the Tripawd was visiting from Iowa  when she heard about the pawty. She and Tripawd Comet share a lot in common . . . they both have non-working fourth legs!

Even a mohawked Tripawd named Oscar pawtied with us!

Luke Robinson of 2 Dogs 2000 Miles and his boy Murphy also paid us a visit. The duo, along with their pack member Hudson, just wrapped up a 2,000 mile walk to help put an end to canine cancer.

Ironically, Murphy was recently diagnosed with cancer himself. But despite the radiation therapy he’s undergoing, Murphy made an appearance because he didn’t let cancer get him down!

The good peeps at Canine Hardware, promoters of fitness through fetch and makers of Chuck It toys,, were kind enough to send us special Tripawd pawty prizes, which were awarded for things like Oldest and Youngest Tripawd, the longest surviving Tripawd, etc.

As the temperature climbed, Tripawds quickly found shade to relax under, but Tripawd Lilly thought it was more fun cooling off with the hose!

We owe all of the great publicity and attendance to our friend Tripawd Lilly and her folks, Clay and Jody, who helped us get some great press in the Denver Post and the Boulder Daily Camera. Anyone looking for a professional PR guy and extraordinary writer, contact Clay and Jody through Facebook.

Remember, you can arrange your own Tripawds pawty in your hometown and spread the word that “It’s better to hop on three legs than to limp on four!“

The Tripawds Campaign is a huge success but we’re not quite done yet! Remember, there’s lots of low impact ways you can help us get there:

Name your price and get your snazzy Tripawds Rule bandanna.

Vote for Tripawds in the “How Do You .com?” Contest every day

Write to Ellen De Generes and tell her how Tripawds has rocked your world.

Any amount of time or bones you can help out with is most appreciated!

Meanwhile, in the last two weeks, lots of folks have helped us get closer to our goal.

Remember, pawrents who give more than $50 qualify for a  special thank you video from Comet, such as:

Catie and Riley who went out on the town to celebrate Catie’s seven month ampuversary, while their Mom, Carmen, generously gave to the campaign again!

Carmen’s thoughtful gift resulted in this fabulous video:

Tripawd Mom Kat (aka: janeothejungle), pawrent to Hurricane Rosie,  also gave a super fabulous gift that qualifies her for a video.

Ginger’s folks, Randy and Sharon, stopped by with a thoughtful gift to the campaign, and they’ll get a SmartyPants Production video too!

Spirit Paris’ Mom, Ginny (aka: gineej), joined in with a generous gift that qualifes her for a memorial tribute video of Paris.

And last but definitely not least, Tripawds’ favorite veterinarian, Dr. Pam (aka: tazziedog) also gave generously and will receive a tribute video for Spirit Tazzie.

Whew, Comet is gonna be busy! Thanks Comet!

Many thanks to Nancy (aka: nstephenson) and the rest of James The Poodle’s pack for their recent contribution and for upgrading James’ three legged poodle blog with a Tripawds Supporter Subscription!

Kathy, Mom to Tripawd Duncan, a Saint Bernard who courageously faced amputation after being diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma, also sent a thoughtful gift.

Tripawds Friend Sandy helped too. She coordinates the Canine Cancer Walk for the Morris Animal Foundation in California, so let’s all show our appreciation to her by joining Team Tripawds for October’s Northern California Canine Cancer Walk!

And a special thanks goes out Darlinda, Mom to Tripawd Spirit Daisy, for her second Tasha Challenge subscription payment.

We are honored by the generosity of our Tripawds family, and thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for helping us get closer to our goal so we can keep this community alive!

Just a few more weeks to go, and we’ll call this campaign done. Whatever you can spare, even a few bones, can help us get there sooner!

Thank you!!!

We can’t wait until Saturday! Team Tripawds is walking for the the Morris animal Foundation’s K9 Cancer Walk, in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado.

This fun-filled day is all about the dogs and supporting the incredible work Morris is doing with their Canine Cancer Campaign to help find a cure for this awful disease.

This year, our Team includes Tripawd families Casey Gardner, Mom of Tripawd Annie; Kami and Kris, pawrents of Spirit Peyton, Dillon and Rhys; and Kim and Tim, pawrents of Spirit Tika, Caya and puppy Sitka.

If you, like all of us on Team Tripawds, have been affected by canine cancer, this is one way of contributing toward finding more information about cancer’s causes and cures.

Remember: Even if you’re not in Colorado you can still join our team by walking virtually with us from home or your own Tripawd Pawty.

Just sign up here to join Team Tripawds!

No animal should ever experience what Oscar went through.

Abandoned in a dumpster at eight weeks old, Oscar was found with a broken jaw, spine and hip damage. He needed extensive surgery and rehabilitation that would have cost thousands of dollars. Despite the horrible start he got in life, Oscar remained happy and joyful toward everyone who came to his aid.

What a twist of fate that Oscar became a family member of Dr. Laura Hady, a  veterinarian certified in canine physical therapy. Dr. Hady worked on Oscar extensively, but despite the dedication of his PT team, Oscar needed a leg amputation in order to improve his mobility.

After surgery, his therapy continued, and once he was given a cart, that’s when life got really good.

Oscar was finally able to roam with his buddies, showing a zest for life that’s hard to match.

He became such an inspiration to Dr. Hady that she started The Oscar Foundation, which raises funds for surgery and animal rehabilitation care for pawrents who can’t afford it.

Oscar doesn’t want anyone to euthanize their best friend because they can’t pay for rehab. He works hard to raise funds and help friends with mobility challenges.

If you have ever known the heartbreak of not being able to afford medical care for an animal, or just want to help, we urge you to join him in his efforts, by visiting the Oscar website and learning more about this great organization.

Do you have a pawesome veterinarian?

Does your vet know about the world’s biggest community for 3-legged dogs and their humans?

Whenever you meet a vet, or someone who works in a vet’s office, be sure to let them know about Tripawds, by passing along  a stack of Tripawds business cards, or one of these nifty countertop displays.

These cards and displays are pawsible thanks to everypawdy’s generosity during our Annual Tripawds Campaign. Thank you!

Tripawds’ motive with these outreach materials is to spread the word, but our other objective is to find veterinarians who can take a few minutes out of their day to help alleviate the more technical concerns of pawrents, in our Ask a Vet Discussion Forum.

Since 2008, TazzieDog has generously staffed this forum, but it would be fantastic if more vets could chime in to help free up some of her time. We know how busy vets are, and are grateful for any level of participation they might be able to offer, either in the Forum or in a monthly “Ask a Vet” Live Chat.

Next time you’re headed for a vet appointment, remember these Tripawds business cards and flyers you can print at home. Take some along and ask them if they’d like a display! If so, we would be hoppy to ship one to their office, along with more business cards, or you can feel free to contribute to the community by ordering a vet display in our Amazon Blog.

Then, don’t forget to gently persuade your vet to come visit our Forums and chime in occasionally! Thanks so much.

Wow, did you see the Chip In Meter jump this week? We are now at over 60 pawcent of our goal!  That big increase in our Fundraising Campaign is because of the incredible generosity of our Tripawds community.

And remember, even if you can’t help with the campaign, please vote for Tripawds in the .com contest and tell Ellen Degeneres we need her help to meet our goal!

Thank you everyone who has given to the campaign. Here’s a rundown of the generous gifts that have arrived in the last two weeks:

Spirit Zeus

This week, Spirit Zeus‘ Mom Heather honored the 11 months that have gone by since he earned his wings, with a very generous gift to the campaign. Zeus is a big hero to us, and his Mom Heather has always been such a huge supporter. We can’t thank her enough for all that she’s done to help us here.

Gayle

Tripawd Gayle was so hoppy to see her Mom Charon when she came home from visiting our Wyatt Ray, that she Chipped In a very generous gift to the cause!  Charon is also responsible for knitting the beautiful socks that contributors received in June and July. Thank you Charon!

Tripawd Gerry

Bri and Gerry (aka: gerrysmom) also qualified for a video for their contribution on behalf of all the Tripawds at their recent Tripawds Party in Wisconsin.

Bri’s generousity earns her a custom video from SmartyPants Productions, and enters her in our drawing for the autographed copy of Guardians of Being by Patrick McDonnell.

The Poodle Sisters, Spirit Cherry and Angel Allie

Cherry and Allie’s pawrents gave an incredibly generous gift to the campaign again. We are so touched. The Poodle Sister’s folks are taking Tasha’s Challenge, by making four monthly contributions.

Hopalong Harley

Harley earned his wings but his spirit will always shine on us. His Mom, Gwen, helped out too! Thank you Gwen, what a sweet thing to do here.

Tripawd Rescue Dog Lena and Myrna

Myrna is a Canadian friend who posted in our Rescue Forums about Lena, a beautiful Tripawd rescue in need of a good home. Myrna is uncertain if she will adopt her but in the meantime gave us a generous gift to help let everyone know that Lena is looking for furever pawrents.

Daisy’s Mom

Darlinda’s gift enabled her to recieve this beautiful tribute video in honor of Daisy’s too short but courageous battle with cancer. Comet made the movie, and she’ll make you one too for giving $50 or more if you can help us keep these blogs and forums online another year.

Tasha and Cemil Meeting the Challenge

Tasha and Cemil gave another round of gifts to the campaign, as part of their commitment to Tasha’s Challenge, which means they are making monthly contributions for four months. Don’t you want to be in on the fun too?

Abby

Despite the hard time Abby is having right now, her Mom Jody was kind enough to Chip In to the campaign. We are so touched that she gave during such a rough time.

Ryan

Ryan is a friend of Tripawds and although we don’t know much about him, we do know that the generosity of people who aren’t very active here is just beyond measure. Wow.

We are so thankful to everypawdy who has helped with our 2010 Campaign! If you haven’t yet, remember that even a couple of bones will go far just by chipping in here.

Thank you everyone!

August is a busy month for Tripawds. If you’re in Colorado, let’s pawty!

Tripawds 2nd Annual Colorado Pawty

On Saturday we’ll be hosting our second annual Colorado Tripawds Pawty in Longmont, just north of Boulder.

Last year there were over 30 Tripawds attending and this year promises to have even more!

Plus, our special guest will be Luke Robinson and Murphy, fresh on the heels of their two year cancer awareness walk.

Murphy was recently diagnosed with cancer, and is now undergoing radiation treatments at Colorado State University. Luke says Murphy will be there this Saturday because cancer isn’t about to get this good dog down!

For directions to the Longmont gathering, visit our Tripawds Parties Discussion Forum topic. See you there!

Tripawds Second Annual Colorado Pawty

Saturday, August 7
10:00 AM – till the Tripawds poop out!
Longmont Dog Park #2

Walk with Team Tripawds for Morris Animal Foundation

On Saturday, August 21st, Team Tripawds will once again walk in the Morris animal Foundation’s K9 Cancer Walk in Estes Park, Colorado.

The day promises to be tons of fun with hundreds of canine cancer survivors and their friends, canine playtime, great speakers like canine cancer pain management specialist Dr. Robin Downing, cool goodies, music, contests and more!

Morris Animal Foundation Canine Cancer Walk, Estes Park Colorado

Saturday, August 21st
Registration 8:00 am
Estes Park, Colorado

Remember: Even if you’re not in Colorado you can still join our team by walking virtually with us from home. Just sign up here to join Team Tripawds!

Here’s a great video with the Estes Park’s chairperson, Patty Henderson, which explains why this is such a great cause. Hope to see you in Colorado this month!

Some people say that dogs rule and cats drool, but here at Tripawds we say that Three Legged Mayors are Cool!

Meet Spright, the first three legged mayor in the country, if not the Universe! Spright is the mayor of Divide, Colorado, a mountain town near Colorado Springs.

Earlier this year, Divide had a mayoral election to raise money for their Teller County Humane Society. Each vote cost $1, and the only requirement was that each Dog-o-Crat and Republi-cat candidate had to have a “job.”

The contest came down to two contenders, a cat named Walter who works at a vet clinic, and Spright, a three legged rescue pup and first assistant to Dr. Lisa Berg, a mobile vet.

The race was close, but as any Tripawd pawrent knows, a three legged dog can outrun a four legged cat any day! Walter got 4,213 votes and Spright won with 4,755. Altogether the contest raised over $14,000 for the shelter.

As Mayor, Spright goes around the county to advocate on behalf of homeless dogs (and cats!) and the great work the shelter does.

And because she happens to be a tripod dog, she’s raising awareness about the awesome capabilities of Tripawds everywhere. Spright’s Mom, Dr. Berg, believes that Tripawds can and do have great lives, and she and Spright are doing a pawesome job educating the public about our community, like this USA Today article that even mentions Tripawds!

We were lucky enough to meet Spright at our Southern Colorado Dog Pawty back in May. And now, introducing, Sprighty the Mayor!