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The first milestones we face without our Tripawd family member are some of the hardest challenges we will endure in our grief. Here at Tripawds, you are never alone in these circumstances.

Today, Tripawds member and supporter OK Scout (Catherine Ronck) is facing a first difficult milestone herself, after Scout’s courageous, nine-month cancer battle ended in November. Today would have been Scout’s 10th birthday.

To honor his memory, Catherine sent Tripawds a generous gift of support and also wrote this touching essay, which we would like to share it with you as we wish her Golden boy a very hoppy birthday, and send lots of hugs out to Catherine.

“Today is Scout’s first birthday at the bridge; it would have been his 10th birthday here on Earth.

We had big plans for today, but instead of celebrating, we are left reflecting on Scout’s life. It was a good life, too short, but sadly, when dogs are concerned, there is never enough time. It’s been nearly three months since Scout died, and there are so many things I miss.

I miss our morning and evening walks. In the mornings, we’d head towards the elementary school to deliver my eldest daughter and go on from there.

In the evenings, we’d hit the streets again. In the summer, Scout would return from the walk and jump right into the pool for a quick dip– the purpose of this was not to swim, but to get soaking wet so that when he got out and rolled in the dirt, he would be completely and utterly filthy. When we lived in Houston, we’d usually start out in the neighborhood and then head over to the bayou.

Our neighborhood was mid-Century; each home had a large window in the front. Scout loved to center himself in front of those windows to do his business. When my daughter was toilet training, she too, loved to go potty in front of those darn windows, just like Scout. We had a portable potty for her, but you can imagine the scene…

One night as we were taking a nighttime perambulation (and Scout was doing his business in front of one of those giant windows), a police car pulls up and a police officer gets out. I make a big show of my poop bag thinking someone has finally called the cops on us, but it turns out she was just warning us of a suspect in an armed robbery– he was dressed all in black– had we seen him? Scout and I decided then and there to take up jogging.

I miss Scout grabbing the leash as we rounded the corner towards home. He loved to play tug of war with the leash on the home stretch. I’d eventually let him have the leash and he’d take himself home.

I miss Scout running from sprinkler to sprinkler on our hot summer walks. I always brought water along, but Scout preferred the neighbors’ sprinklers.

I miss closing doors after Scout. Scout was wickedly clever and could open any door that involved turning a handle and pushing. How he could figure out the opening of the doors and never the closing, I’ll never know.

I miss settling down on the sofa to read to my kids and having Scout, ever so politely, force his way into the best spot–scoot over little humans.

I miss immediately clearing off the counters after cooking– now I can bake a pan of muffins and leave the half full muffin pan on the stove to cool. I hate this.

I miss the sound of Scout drinking– it was always in threes– slurp, slurp, slurp… pause… slurp, slurp, slurp. Sometimes I imagine I hear this….

I miss Scout’s nighttime routine. First, he would lay next to my bed, then, after about 30 minutes, he’d pad over to sleep next to my eldest daughter, then at about 3 AM, he’d come back to my room and lie near the open doorway. Finally, around 5, he’d return to his bed next to me.

I miss the whistling sound Scout would make every time you said “RIDE.”

I miss driving with Scout’s enormous head jammed under my armpit.

I miss Scout being constantly by my side– no matter what room I was in, Scout would be there.

I miss the sound of Scout running to the kitchen any time a packet of cheese was opened– that dog could be in the farthest corner of the back yard and hear a cheese wrapper.

I miss his soft fur– goldens have a bad reputation for being shedders, but in fact, golden fur is fantastic as it forms “tumbleweeds” and these tumbleweeds collect discretely under the sofa or under the bed. No bother at all.

I miss those sparkling, mischievous, intelligent brown eyes.

I miss my furry vacuum cleaner. I have used the vacuum ten times as often since Scout died– turns out 3 small kids make ten times the mess with their food as Scout did with his fur tumbleweeds.

I miss Scout leaping over the front flowerbed to greet visitors. I miss running wildly after him to prevent him leaping up on their cars. More than one paint job Scout ruined…

I miss Scout offering his paw — he loved paw massages.

I miss Scout’s “love noises” when he was receiving a paw massage or other petting. Love noises were also heard in anticipation of food. Always a glutton.

Scout loved to lie at the foot of the stairs. I miss the final, furry step.

Scout’s vets blew his diagnosis– so he walked hundreds of miles on a cancerous, moth eaten leg. No problem for my too tough boy. However, if a a sticker should get lodged in his paw, he’d go down like he’d been shot, writhing in pain. You were an odd dog, Scout.

So many things I miss about you.

I am not usually a big fan of poetry, but the poem OKim1 posted in 2008 really spoke to me. Here it is again.

 I ONLY WANTED YOU

They say memories are golden
well maybe that is true
I never wanted memories,
I only wanted you.

A million times I needed you,
a million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you
you never would have died.

In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place
no one could ever fill.

If tears could build a stairway
and heartache make a lane,
I’d walk the path to heaven
and bring you back again.

Our family chain is broken,
and nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one,
the chain will link again.

— Anonymous —

 Happy Birthday Scout.

In Memory of Scout Ronck
January 31, 2002 – November 8, 2011

“What a beautiful day we had for the Paw Rade in Mainstrasse Village!” says Barb. “It was great to have the opportunity to talk with so many pet owners, rescues and shelter people about the best group of folks around–the Tripawds community, our extended family.”

Barb and John’s “Mission of Hope” is their way of honoring the support they received while their Hope went through her own amputation journey and soon after succumbed to kidney failure. The Youngs have started this outreach program to offer information and support to Tripawd dogs in the Cincinnati area.

“Tripawds folks gave us so much support and encouragement after Hope’s surgery, that in honor and remembrance of her, we have started the Tripawds.com Cincinnati Outreach Program, ‘Mission of Hope’” Barb told us.

“It was easy to tell people how all of you have taken the path that is before them, and how you can help them along the way.

So many people told me that they wished they had known about tripawds when their pet had surgery,” she added.

Create Tripawd Awareness in Your Town

Spreading the word about the amazing capabilities of three-legged dogs is easy and doesn’t have to cost a lot. Print our free Tripawds fliers, then pass them out to your veterinarian, dog food store, beautify salon . . . “Anywhere and everywhere,” says Barb, “because there are people out there who need YOU and the support you and this community can give them.”

If you have an opportunity to set up a booth at an animal function, “do it!” Barb says. “It’s easy and you will get far more out of the event that you put in. Email me and I will give you all the info you need to do an event!”

At the Paw-Rade, the Youngs set up a beautiful table, and had beautifully-packaged, tasty homemade dog cookies ready for hungry pups.

Barb turned her kitchen into a biscuit bakery, and baked several different types of treats for the event.

Although competition was stiff among the many different treat vendors, Barb added a classy touch to her offerings. Instead of grabbing treats out of a jar when a customer requested some, she used tongs to bag their order. This gave her treats a cleaner, more sanitary look than typical treat vendors.

In addition to dog treats, Barb addressed the feline fans at the Paw-Rade, with her homegrown catnip treats.

They even had Charger, a Tripawd pup staff the booth to show everypawdy what three legged dogs can do!

“It really was a great time for everyone and gave me a good opportunity to talk with other rescues about tripod animals they might rescue in the future,” says Barb.

We’ve never seen a more well-dressed bunch of pups anywhere!

Thank you Barb and John for all of your hard work to raise over $100 to help Tripawds.com, and show the world that Tripawds Rule!

 [[Show as slideshow]]

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When I was on my cancer journey, my doctor told us about “The Penny Jar” method, which can help pawrents measure quality of life as cancer progresses.

Spirit Bo’s folks also knew about this easy way to keep track of good and bad days. His mom Meghan generously provided the following description:

The Penny Jar Method: How to Measure a Dog’s Quality of Life
by Meghan Howell

“During the canine cancer journey, “bad” days are likely to arise. Sometimes the bad days are so overwhelming, we may overlook the many good days that our companions are having.

An effective way of assessing your canine pal’s quality of life is called the Penny Jar method.

To use this method, you will need two jars/cups and pennies. One jar is for good days and the other is for bad days.

It is important to establish a rubric, or standards, as to what constitutes a good or bad day. You can write out your rubric or keep a mental note of it, and it should be tailored to your dog’s specific issues.

For example, the most important issues that you may keep track of could be

• appetite
• mobility
• breathing

Of course, each dog is different and will have his/her own set of standards to track.

After establishing the issues that you want to monitor, you will need to decide to what degree or how many of the variables will need to be abnormal to count it as a bad day. For instance, if two of the issues are off that day, you may want to count it as a bad day.

It’s important to remember that it is your dog’s health and days that you are assessing, not your own. A bad day at work should not equate to a bad day for your Tripawd.

Be sure to make the Penny Jar part of your daily routine so you do not miss a day. Sometimes, the good days are smooth rides and we may not think about the Penny Jar until a bad day hits.

Always add pennies daily in order to get an accurate assessment of your dog’s quality of life.

Be Consistent; there are No Wrong Decisions

The Penny Jar method can be used as a tool to aid you in the decision to set your dog free. You will need to determine at what point your dog no longer has a good quality of life.

At first glance, you may think that when the bad day jar has more pennies than the good day, it will be time.

However, some may decide that after multiple, consecutive bad days the time will be right.

When using the Penny Jar method, it is important to be consistent. There are no wrong decisions as long as you are honest with yourself and your Tripawd!”

Many thanks to Meghan for sharing this important tip with our community. If you would like to share tips from your own Tripawd journey, contact us here.

Recommended Reading:

• Bo’s Story, a Tripawds Dog Blog
• So Easy to Love, So Hard to Heal, by Laurie Kaplan
• The Quality of Life Scale for Pet Pawrents
• The Legacy of Beezer and Boomer
• “Pet Loss Articles and Books Resource” by Christine Davis
• Land of Pure Gold Foundation’s Vet Hospice Care page (scroll down about halfway).

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Spirit Jerry, October 1, 1998 to October 3, 2008

Jerry, has it really been three years since the last moments when we rubbed your velvety ears and smelled your sweet puppy breath?

Time moves so fast, but your spirit, your lessons, your life, stay forever young and always a part of us. Even as you soar through the heavens, you continue to do your job, spreading the word about all that really matters in life . .

Like when you paid a visit to our friends who were visiting Bangor, Maine, a few weeks ago. They knew you from the PBS show, but never got the chance to meet you in pawson. One day they decided to grab a beer, and being dog people that they are, decided to head downtown to visit the Sea Dog Microbrewery.

As they roamed the bar to check out the dog mementos, something made them look up on a wall full of pictures. And who, out of the hundreds of photos tacked to the wall, barked out to them?

You! In this early Tripawds business card that we left in the bar, the day you hopped in on all threes and charmed all the bar flys, back in September, 2007.

Thank you for making our friends smile, and bringing back so many good memories of that momentous occasion when you reached the East Coast, despite all odds.

Fear not, brave Spirit Jerry. For today we will will not grieve, or cry.
We will cast aside our tears and celebrate your life!
Here’s to you, a very special pup who will go on living in the hearts of many,
from sea to shining sea.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In Memory of
Jerry G. Dawg, Fearless Leader and Furever Friend
October 1, 1998 – October 3, 2008

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Many future Tripawd pawrents assume Tripawds is only for dogs who lose a leg to cancer.

But as Tripawds Spokesdawg Wyatt Ray can tell you, that’s just not the case.

Beyond Cancer: All Tripawds Welcome

Tripawds began when Spirit Jerry lost his leg to osteosarcoma, but his community is now the world’s biggest resource for animal amputees because of the many different circumstances in which they lose a leg.

While the majority of our members are dogs facing bone cancer, we’ll always be here to provide support for anypawdy facing amputation or life with a malformed limb. Our Beyond Cancer Discussion Forum shares many of their stories.

And yes, all species, even cats(!) are most definitely welcome!

Below are just a few examples of how some members became Tripawds.

If you have a Tripawd for reasons other than cancer, share your story in the comments below or in the Forums.

Our Spokesdawg, Wyatt Ray Dawg lost his leg from abuse and neglect, and so did the rest of the Oaktown Pack (pictured left to right, Travis Ray, Codie Rae and Wyatt Ray.

Gerry had irrepairable damage to his left rear leg.

Nemo the kitty was the first non-canine Tripawd we heard about.

New members Cubbie and Reggie were born without paws.

Comet had a fourth leg but she couldn’t use it. Honorary Tripawds definitely count!

JoJo is a sweet little pup who was hit by a car and adopted as a Tripawd

The Petite Princess Shelby was found overseas and brought to America as a Tripawd.

 Molly the Tripawd Pony is a hero of ours.

And finally, Henry the Tripawd Cat is doing pawesome social work with his book series that helps Tripawds.com!

As you can see, Tripawds is an all-species community for any animal who’s lost a leg.

Wyatt isn’t a Tripawd because of cancer, but when the lump appeared last Saturday, we couldn’t help but have flashbacks to when Tripawds Founder Jerry was diagnosed.

Wyatt is only 2.5 years old, but we’ve seen Tripawds as young as 15 months get diagnosed. After his local vet couldn’t diagnose the swelling, we feared that this awful disease was happening to us again.

Old Shoes Hurt

Fortunately we’re only an hour from one of the best veterinary teaching hospitals in the world, Colorado State University. That’s where Wyatt had three of the hospital’s most experienced soft tissue surgeons looking at his stump this week, trying to figure out where the swelling was coming from.

The wait was excruciating and put us right back into the shoes everyone wears when they first join this community. Wearing them again was painful.

Good News: No Cancer

Tests confirmed he didn’t have cancer, so Wyatt went into surgery on Wednesday for 2.5 hours to uncover the cause. After digging and probing, surgeons concluded that Wyatt’s amputation site was infected from “foreign material” that was trying to work its way out of his stump. The material and infected tissue is being sent out to a lab for evaluation and a final diagnosis.

Wyatt is finally home, high as a kite on Tramadol and looking very spacey, nervous and tired. Here we are once again, taking care of a post-op Tripawd.

We’re a little smarter than we were last time, but it’s still nerve wracking. Wyatt’s wearing a surgical drain that been stitched into his side. The drain looks like a hand grenade and we’re supposed to empty the fluid as it accumulates. This is something new to us.

He’s also on pain pills and anti-biotics, has post-surgery bruising and we need to watch him carefully until we take him back to CSU on Monday to have the drain removed.

The Bad News: Hip Displaysia

We’re thrilled Wyatt doesn’t have cancer, but at the same time, we were devastated to hear the surgeon tell us that he definitely has a good case of hip displaysia.

As a rear-leg amputee, hip displaysia is not going to be easy for Wyatt to cope with as he ages. Some day far in the future, the condition will impact all of us in a big way.

But for now, we are going to take things one day at a time, and enjoy every minute of our young, wild and vibrant Tripawd’s life.

Thank you everypawdy for your concern about this crazy kid. We’ll keep you posted when we have the lab results next week.

Date: This Sunday, June 26, 2011

Time: 6:30pm Eastern (3:30 Pacific)

Duration: 30 min.

Call In Number: (310) 388-9739

Tune In Here: Tale of Two Tripawds – Eisen and Hurley

Share Link: bit.ly/ttr062611

Learn about their treatments, nutrition plans, how they are coping, and what their pawrents hope for the future. Ask any questions you have before the show, by replying to this topic or join us in the Chat during the broadcast.

About Our Guests:

Hansome Hurley is a large, older  Rottie-Mix pup from Washington who lost his leg to osteosarcoma in April. Cancer took is right front leg leg but Hurley is proving that it won’t take his spirit. He is undergoing chemotherapy at Washington State University and meanwhile, doing great and loving life.

Eisen the Incredible is a bone cancer veteran from Colorado and one of the first Tripawds featured here back in 2007.

As a 12.5-year old German Shepherd Eisen has beaten the osteosarcoma odds for over three years!

Instead of chemotherapy, Eisen’s Mom chose a holistic medicine route and since 2007 she has had Eisen under the care of the famous holistic vet, Dr. Charles Loops.

Related Blog Posts

Hurley’s Journey

Birthday Boy Eisen Beats Bone Cancer Odds

If you want to share your Tripawds story here, contact us.

Loveable Indy Celebrates 17 Months

Written by Carol Roberts

Let me introduce you to my most lovable Siberian husky named Indiana (aka Indy)!

When you look into his big brown eyes, he touches your soul with love; when you give him a big hug, it’s heavenly, he’s so soft, cuddly and he smells so good.

When you have Indy kisses, you just melt with the loving energy he gives; when you pat him, he holds on to you with his paws and always has to be in touch with you!

We brought Indy home at eight weeks old and I fell in love with my boy from the moment his eyes met mine. We started going on our long walks ever since he was a puppy and soon we walked four miles a day and then some – every single day – rain or shine and in the snow!

Indy became very popular in our town. Many business owners came out to pat him and we bought him inside to many businesses to say hello. People driving by in cars stopped to admire him and we met so many new friends along the way. He had become a daily part of many people’s lives as we walked by.

As a puppy, he learned how to do many, many tricks! I taught him to count to 10 barking out the numbers. I say one speak – he barks once, I say 5 speak, he barks 5 times, I hold up my 7 fingers, and he barks 7 times. He does this in any order whether I use hand signals or voice.

continued . . .

He actually talks and many people have witnessed words like I love you, I love you mama, and more. He sings howls, hums and whispers when prompted.

When he had four legs, he would stand up and place both paws on my shoulders and dance with me. He would walk forward and backwards with me as well. He has always been so entertaining and of course he has always been well-rewarded with treats, plenty of loving praises, and plenty of peanut butter!

Huskies love to run and boy did Indy run so fast! He would have a big smile on his face as we used to race each other. I guess you know who won every time!

He LOVED the snow and would prance and leap straight up in the air with joy! We always sat in the snow together for hours on end enjoying the crisp weather.

He loved staying in his kennel when we went out for a while. Most of all, he loves to cuddle and give many Indy kisses. He is the most loving dog I have ever met and I am so blessed to say he is mine!

The Shocking Diagnosis

The last week in December of 2009 I started to notice that when we walked, his head was bobbing a little bit vs. when he would just glide by my side. I gave him Rimadyl for a couple of days and there was no change.

The first week of January 2010, I brought him to his vet. He was not limping in front of the doctors and nurses – just doing his happy Indy dance! They had me continue the Rimadyl for another week. After the weekend went by, I noticed that he would limp when getting up in the morning and after naps. He started not to put weight on his paw. I scheduled a series of x-rays at the end of the week to find out what was the matter. We thought it could be his hips, his back or maybe a wrist sprain.

On January 14, 2010 we dropped him off for the day and they had me sign all kinds of papers because he was going under anesthesia. I was so worried and they assured me he would wake up.

I received a phone call later that day saying he is awake and feeling fine but hey found something. Indy had severe bone loss in his left wrist. “What did I do?” I asked. “You didn’t do anything wrong”, they responded, “He has a tumor on his left wrist”. I commented, “It’s not cancerous?”

There was a moment of silence. This was when one of Indy’s doctors said that they suspected it was osteosarcoma and if nothing was done, it may eat away at his bone & his leg could break. The bone cancer he had was very aggressive and it already made its way to his lungs and was microscopic and didn’t show on the lung x-rays. If we didn’t take action, he may have had only a month to live.

The only choice we had was to remove his limb at the shoulder. I was in such shock and was more devastated than I had ever been in my entire life.

My world felt like it was crashing down and I couldn’t breathe. I was with my daughter when I received the call and she was wonderful and comforted me. She helped me call my husband and we had to decide which hospital to take him to in the next few days. We chose Tufts in Grafton MA.

We had an appointment with a specialist at Tufts the following Wednesday and he kept our boy over night for a bone biopsy. We picked him up the next day and both Indy and I cried all the way home. I nursed him back to health and he then had a very pronounced limp that he didn’t have before.

Within five days we received the phone call which confirmed that he did have osteosarcoma. We were asked to bring him right in the next night for surgery the following day.

It all happened so fast. They told us that there was a chance he may surpass the 4 months they predicted him to live because I caught it so very early. They told us we may have 5 or 6 months with him. It was a very successful surgery and we visited him in the hospital every day. He was in for four days and he did remarkable adjusting. He didn’t need any help that night to do his business. He even ate his dinner too!

Indy Bounces Back

When we brought him home he did very well, just mentally the meds did a number on him as he tried to do his everyday things just in a different way. The second week was much better than the first and he was off all of his pain meds and nerve pain meds.

After his stitches were removed, we started to walk short walks. One block, two blocks, one mile, two, three and then four miles again!

He trotted around like nothing was the matter. Everyone beeped and gave him the thumbs up, So many people got out of their cars and gave him love. Some didn’t even notice until after hugging him for five minutes that he was missing a limb! He did amazing & looked like a very happy boy!

After four months of doing great, he started to let me know he wanted shorter walks. As the days went on, they got shorter and shorter until one day he just sat down. I thought – “Oh no – the cancer is back!”

I brought him to the vet right away and his lungs were clear. What a relief! I watched him the next few days and noticed his back right leg was not functioning right and he was not putting any weight on it. I brought him back and we had it x-rayed to find out that he tore his ligament and the only cure would be surgery (which we could not do). He had to take it very easy and stop the walks.

After about four months of many truck rides and plenty of extra special care, he was back walking a few blocks with me. We decided that we would have his lungs x-rayed every four months. In September 2010, his lungs were clear and his blood work was perfect!

Coping with Mets

The next four month check up landed on his 1-year check up. We were absolutely shocked to find that he had 2” tumors in his lungs. They gave him a couple of weeks – maybe a month more. My world came tumbling down all over again! I did notice he was coughing once in a while and he never used to cough at all. I kept watch and they gave me cough medicine to keep in the house.

It wasn’t until April that I heard him cough all night long. We started giving him cough medicine 3 times a day and it seemed to quiet it down.

Six weeks ago we had a terrible scare one night when we came home from dining out, he was acting like he was so uncomfortable & his breathing was labored.

He had no energy & lost the sparkle in his eyes. But he had such a wonderful day filled with a walk, truck rides and visiting friends!

I gave him a pain killer and sat with him for hours; he finally fell asleep and woke up the same way. I stayed home all day with him and as the day progressed, he felt better for four more days. His doctors told us to start giving him Tramadol three times a day.

The first week of May Indy had no interest in eating his breakfast (he normally would knock you over if you got in his way of his meals!). After a couple of hours I hand-fed him and finally he finished. Dinner was no problem. I pretty much hand-fed him for a month. It just so happens that the past 10 days he has miraculously stared eating on his own again!

However, his coughing has increased in between the medicine and I am very worried. He has had so many very good days! The past couple of days even though he eats on his own, he has been resting more again, but not too tired to sing a song or give out those famous Indy kisses!

Today We Celebrate

Today is 17 months beating the odds against osteosarcoma and Indiana has done it with such grace, joy and without a care in the world. He has been an inspiration to us all. Not one moment has he ever acted upset with all that he’s been through. He trusts me with his life and I take very good care of him and shower him with so much love!

We chose not to give him chemo or any other alternative medicines or food. Indy has made it this far with my love.

Indy is our miracle and I am blessed to have him in my life and in my heart.

His 10th birthday is in one week and I pray he is here for us to celebrate our gentle warrior, my soul dog, my best friend and light of my life. Indiana’s love is truly a gift and we cherish every moment we have loving him.

With love & Indy kisses,

Carol, Indy’s mom

Got an upcoming ampuversary? Honor your own Tripawd’s big day with a custom Tripawd dog photo pendant like Indy’s!

Clinical trails help doctors in the medical and veterinary fields investigate methods to improve detection and treatment of cancer, as well as improve the quality of care each patient receives.

Because many dog cancers act similarly to the way comparable cancers behave in humans (especially osteosarcoma), dogs are ideal candidates to test promising new treatments. Many of today’s mainstream treatments for humans were often first proven beneficial in dogs through clinical trials.

Tripawd Hunter recently reported that she is participating in an Ohio State University osteosarcoma clinical trial at her oncology clinic in Los Angeles, the Veterinary Cancer Group.

While most trials are conducted on-site at a veterinary teaching hospital, more and more forward-thinking oncology groups are partnering with vet schools and cancer researchers to conduct dog cancer clinical trials directly at their clinics. In addition, groups like Animal Clinical Investigation exist to match veterinary school clinical trials with veterinary oncology clinics to help more dogs than ever.

How Clinical Trials Work

According to the Perseus Foundation’s Clinical Trial Handbook (click here to download in PDF form), clinical trials are conducted at four distinct phases. In each phase, scientists seek answers to questions like: What is the correct dosage and use of the treatment? Does the new treatment have anti-cancer effects (i.e., does it shrink tumors)? How does the new treatment compare with existing ones? And finally, they test the new treatment against at least two established treatment regimens, by randomly assigning each one to a given group of patient.

There are often many requirements to participate in a clinical trial, which may include frequent visits to the vet and following restrictions on supplements and foods. In every instance, the dog’s quality of life is placed first.

In return for following the requirements, dogs get to receive things like a promising new drug and/or cutting-edge treatment. Their humans often (but not always) receive discounts on treatment costs.

For More Information:

• Read about clinical trials and one Tripawd hero’s experience while participating in a Colorado State University clinical trial.
• Visit the Tripawds Resources Page Clinical Trials directory to find an organization, vet clinic or a clinical trials matchmaker near you.

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Calpurnia. Tripawd Queen of the Sled Dogs. Wise pack leader. Gentle old soul. The love of my life.

You came into my world back in the day, when I was still running and playing and loving life on the road. The stars aligned to bring us together.

The day we met on the Colorado Trail (three years ago this month!), it was heaven on earth.

Ever since that day, I was in love.

You never let life on three legs keep you from doing what you wanted to, from showing your pack who was really in charge!

My pawrents, and all the other peeps at Tripawds, are so sad, knowing that got your wings yesterday.

These silly humans of ours wish we could live forever!

But you and I know that we have more impawtant work to do, more people to help, more places to make better.

We can’t stick around as long as they want us to, but we always leave a part of us with them, in that mysterious place they call their soul. Why don’t you drop everyone a hint to let them know you’ll always be around?

Now that you’re a Spirit Tripawd, you can come join me in this beautiful place, where you can run the trails like you used to as a kid, leading the pack with all four legs.

Maybe you can show me n’ Moose and all of the other old school Tripawds from back in the day how to pull a sled!

Hurry Cali, we’re waiting!

Run Free Forever, Calpurnia! Tripawd Queen of the Sled Dogs!

View this playlist of five favorite videos featuring Calpurnia, Tripawds founder Jerry and spokespup Wyatt: