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Tripawd Tuesday: Lady and Travis Make a Great Team!

Here’s a Tripawd Tuesday spotlight that you won’t ever forget. We are so honored to share the story of Lady, an Entlebucher Mountain Dog, and her human brother Travis from Salt Lake City, Utah.

Tripawd Tuesday: Lady and Travis Share the Spotlight!

Lady and Travis are the best team!

What a story. Travis and Lady are quite a team who prove that with determination and pawsitivity, nothing can slow you down.

What is Your Tripawd’s Name?

  • Lady, she’s named after Darlington race track (the Lady in Black). This track “mars” the right front of the cars and Lady’s right front paw is “marred”.

How old is your Tripawd?

  • 2.5 years old

When and Why did your Tripawd lose a leg?

  • Lady was born with a “stumpy leg”, something restricted the growth in her right front leg. She has a pad on the bottom and it makes for the perfect resting height.
Lady the Entlebucher Mountain Dog Tripawd
Lady was born with limb difference.

How did your Tripawd adapt to life on three? 

  • This is all she has ever known. She took a little longer to get around when compared to her siblings and was slower moving then. She gets around really great now, just ask our cat. Ha ha ha.

What are your Tripawd’s favorite things to do? 

  • Lady loves to be with her family. She likes playing tug, playing with her humans, going on walks, car rides, playing in the snow, watching hockey, watching her human brother play hockey, watching racing, eating popcorn, learning new tricks, and hanging out with Travis.

Is there any special gear that helped or helps your Tripawd?

  • This is all she’s ever known. We do use a harness with her on walks and car rides. Sometimes we put down runner-sized rugs for her to get around the house if she has difficulty getting around. We also have food and water bowls that are elevated so she doesn’t have to bend down to eat, taking some of the repeated strain off of her remaining front leg.

If you went through amputation surgery recovery with your animal, what did you think would happen after surgery? Did your worst fears happen? How did you cope?

  • Lady actually helped our son Travis make the decision to amputate his entire left leg and donate it to Neurofibromatosis (NF) research. Seeing that she could get around with a limb deformity and live an amazing life was just the thing he needed to see at just the right time.
Lady the Entlebucher Mountain Dog Tripawd
Lady, the limb different ambassador.

Tell us your pet’s Gotcha Day story.

We knew Lady had a stumpy leg shortly after she was born. We were in communication with the breeder in Canada even before Lady was born. The breeder, Laureen Little, mentioned on their website updates that one of the puppies was born with a limb deformity. Their vet determined this was not a sign of a global issue, but something that just happened.

I emailed Laureen that we would be interested in the puppy with the orthopedic issue as our youngest son also faces orthopedic issues (3 breaks at that point, 2 were of the femur that required surgery, among other issues due to his NF). We kept in communication and as she observed Lady’s personality and what we were looking for in a dog, she knew this would be a great match.

We contacted our local vet who felt that this would be something that our family would be able to handle. Lady was born in September of 2020, so many Covid restrictions were still in place. Laureen would bring Lady to us in Salt Lake City from their ranch in Alberta, Canada. (She is an amazing person!!)

We knew we were getting Lady when Travis’ femur fractured for the 3rd and final time in November 2020. Lady and Laureen flew to Salt Lake City a little more than a week later and we were in love. We didn’t know if Lady would need an amputation or not when we got her, it just depended on if her “stumpy” leg grew to be a hindrance for her as she grew up.

For Lady’s situation, her leg deformity was one that doesn’t cause her issues and no amputation is needed at this time. Travis commented, in a positive way, “the kid with the stumpy leg gets the dog with the stumpy leg.”

3-legged dog gives Utah boy courage to deal with rare genetic disorder

Watch a great story about Travis and Lady
Watch a great story about Travis and Lady

What is the biggest lesson you learned from your Tripawd?

  • The biggest lesson is that missing part of a limb does not slow you down and watching Lady enjoy her life helped Travis make the decision to amputate his entire left leg that was slowing him down.

What is your best advice to someone who is about to go through amputation with their pet, or someone who is thinking of adopting a Tripawd?

  • It was a shock the first time I saw Travis without his left leg, now it’s just a part (or not) of who he is. I would think it would be the same for a family whose pet is about to have an amputation.
  • We love our Tripawd and tried to learn as much as we could about the best things to help her get around and enjoy the most out of life. Find humor where you can, Lady likes to adjust her stuffed animals to look like her by removing the right front leg.

See More Tripawd Tuesday Stories, and contact us to share your own too!

Send Your Tripawd Tuesday Love Story!

Did you enjoy today’s story about Lady and Travis? Want to share your own hero with the community?

Please share your Tripawd Tuesday love story, too! By doing it, you’ll also help pet parents seeking hope and inspiration during tough times. Follow the links to send it to us.

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