Have we got a hoppy Tripawd Tuesday story for you! Meet joyful Jubilee, a beloved Tripawd who found the most amazing forever home with her sibling, Rufus. You may recall meeting them in the Tripawds Angel Exchange. Their mom Kathy donated a Ruffwear Webmaster and Ruffwear Flagline harness to two Tripawds in need!
Today we are happy to share their story with you. The sincere generosity of the Tripawds Nation never ceases to amaze us. We are so grateful to Kathy and family, and hope you enjoy this beautiful story she wrote to share Jubilee’s story with the world.
Meet Joyful Jubilee from Pennsylvania
Greetings! I am Jubilee. I am a Tripawd and this is my story (told by my Mom.)
Jubilee is a lab mixed with (cattle dog?) She was originally named Rose and lived in Tennessee with a nice man whom she loved very much. Life was grand – until one day she was hit by a car. Her right front leg was so badly mangled that the vet said it had to be amputated. Her owner agreed to the surgery, but then another tragedy struck – he died before she could have the surgery done! His family could not afford the surgery, and they knew that if she was taken to a shelter, she would most likely be euthanized. Fortunately, they found a rescue who would take her. They arranged for the surgery and a loving foster home to nurse her back to health and then set about finding her a new home.
I first saw the picture of “Rose Tripawd” on Petfinder, indicating that she was in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. But – surprise! – when I scrolled to the bottom of the page, it said, “This dog is in Tennessee.” I learned that, in many places in the south, animal control laws are less strict than in the north and so there are far too many unwanted pets for the shelters to handle, resulting in a high rate of euthanasia of healthy and adoptable dogs. Rescues have been formed to take some of these dogs into foster care, and once a week the adopted dogs are transported to the northeast and New England to their new families.
Her personality shone through those beautiful eyes
I fell in love with Rose at first sight … not because she had only three legs, but because her personality shone through those beautiful eyes. At first, I was hesitant about adopting a three-legged dog. I began doing some research and I found some wonderful information on Tripawds.org. After talking with her foster Mom and learning how confident and joyful Rose was, I knew I had to go for it. I asked them to measure her and I bought her a Ruffwear Webmaster harness so that I was ready for her when she arrived.
And so, in October 2018, Rose was loaded onto a tractor trailer truck with all of the other dogs that were traveling North that weekend. Her stop was in Harrisburg, a two-hour trip from my home, at 3 a.m. She was so frightened that the driver had to carry all 52 pounds of her across the parking lot to my van. I took my foxhound, Rosie, with me so that Rose Tripawd would feel more comfortable going home with me. Well, we couldn’t have two Rose’s in the family because that would get confusing, and a new start in life meant a new name was needed. What better name than Jubilee? My friend Clare and I sang “Jubilee Rose” to her all the way home and she very quickly learned to answer to just Jubilee. She is so happy, thankful and joyful that her whole body waggles with glee.
Life has not been the same since Jubilee arrived.
It wasn’t long until I was thinking that I should have named her Shadow, because she was – and still is – constantly by my side, “hopelessly devoted” to me. I’d lost my husband in an accident a few years ago, and from the time I laid eyes on Jubilee, I had a feeling that he had a hand in bringing us together. An unexpected surprise the next week eradicated any doubt as to whether or not this was a match made in heaven. Jubilee’s foster Mom mailed her coat to her, and it matched my coat exactly!
By now Jubilee was two and had been through quite an ordeal in her young life. And yet there was more of her story to unfold … I noticed right away that Jubilee had a small lump on her left side. At first I thought it was one of those fatty cysts that labs are prone to. But it got a little bigger and it just didn’t feel right. The vet didn’t think it felt right either and after some tests we decided it should come off. Jubilee was such a good patient that she did not even have to wear the “cone of shame.”
She never once bothered the staples in her side or even seemed to notice them. The mass turned out to be cellulitis with something unknown in the middle of it. When the biopsy came back, Dr. Amy was astounded. In the center of the mass was … a bullet!
The neighbors had probably been taking pot shots at her
I contacted the rescue and they seemed to be unaware of anything that may have happened. I was confident that she had been safe at her foster Mom’s home so we figured it had to have been there before she went to the rescue but maybe was not yet noticeable.
A few months later, another piece of her story unraveled when Jubilee was having some tummy trouble. It turned out to be a mild case of pancreatitis which we were able to treat easily. But in the process of diagnosing it, surprise again! Dr. Nate came out and said the X-rays showed that her whole left side was riddled with “shrapnel” (buckshot?)
She had not been out of my sight or outside alone since she came to live with me, nor had she been injured or shot at. It seemed like this had been there for quite some time and we figured that the lump that was removed was an infection that had formed around one of what now appeared to be more than a few bullets. I contacted the rescue again and this time learned that the family who’d had her had been letting her run loose and the neighbors had probably been taking pot shots at her to keep her off of their property. How scary that must have been for her! That is why she freezes in place or dives for cover at the sound of fireworks or cars backfiring.
In spite of all she has been through, Jubilee loves, loves, loves people and they love her!
Her leg may be missing, but her heart grew two sizes to make up for it. 🙂 She is a people magnet, or should I say she is drawn to people like a magnet. She will actually stage “lay-down” strikes if she sees someone walking in another direction and I won’t allow her to follow to meet them. I use the handle on her harness more often to encourage her to move along when she can’t resist visiting than I do as a lift assist, and the neighbors often have a good laugh at my expense!
One of my neighbors likes to say, “Oh, look! There’s Jubilee, everyone’s favorite dog!”
If Jubilee notices that her leg is missing, she rarely shows it. Jubilee can hold her own playing tug with the best of them and can do almost everything any other dog with all four legs can do, and can do some things better. The only thing that she cannot do is to go for very long walks. It tires her out too much … not just because of the added stress on her joints but also the extra stamina that is required. It is a lot of work so she needs to rest often.
True to her lab nature, Jubilee loves water in every form.
She especially enjoys “body surfing” in the snow, and will lay down in puddles after the rain. When I took her to the stream, she was afraid to try to swim at first because she ran in too fast and then she did notice her leg was missing. So I bought her a special life vest from Ruffwear to help keep her afloat. But this past summer she had forgotten that she “couldn’t” swim … so she did!
I sometimes take her to the assisted living home and folks walking in the hallway with walkers will say, “Look! She’s missing a leg!” I tell them, “Shhhh! Don’t tell her, she doesn’t know!” They get a good chuckle out of this and then love telling the same “secret” to the next person coming along when they comment on her leg.
In spite of the difficulties she has endured, Jubilee’s joyful nature is truly an inspiration to everyone she meets. And she continues to inspire people every day! When we walk up the Valley Road, a man who rides his bike over the mountain to go to work shouts, “She is my inspiration every day!”
But sometimes she can bridge a gap that we as humans cannot … and maybe even save a life.
One night we were walking after dark and came upon two teenagers walking in the street. One of them was very afraid of dogs but was so moved that he could not resist coming over to talk with us when he noticed that she had only three legs. He seemed to be obviously struggling emotionally. I told the two teens Jubilee’s story and the young man responded, “Oh, wow! If she can be so happy with everything that she has gone through, then I am going to be okay, too!”
Well, that is Jubilee’s story, and there is never a dull day, although there are some blessedly quiet days. Jubilee does not at all understand why people have been complaining about sheltering in place because she has mastered the art of hibernating and likes it almost as much as her squeaky toys. Or visiting people. And definitely better than CATS!
We Want YOUR Tripawd Tuesday Story!
Did you like today’s Tripawd Tuesday spotlight? Whether you have a cat or dog, share your three-legged hero’s story with the world and inspire others! Send your Tripawd Tuesday shout-out now. Each Tuesday is the best way to celebrate Tripawd amputee pets from around the world. Enter for a chance to be “Tripawd of the Week.” Just share your story in a few words and you’re in!
Whether you are a bonafide registered Tripawds member, or part of our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram communities, we want to tell the world about your three-legged cat or dog.
Send Your Love Story in 3 easy steps:
- In a short paragraph or two (or longer if you’d like!), describe your three-legged hero’s story. Share a photo, video or both.
- Got a Tripawds Forum topic and/or Tripawds blog that you started? Be sure to include that link too! Of course let us know any social media handles that feature your Tripawd.
- Then send your story to us via email, Facebook Messenger, or direct message us on Twitter or Instagram @TripawdsCommunity.
We want to publish a new Tripawd story each week. It’s time for yours to get featured!