Hi all! What a wonderful resource for information and support. Thank you for all of the great advice I have already found!

I work at a Humane Association in Wisconsin and have been fostering a Chihuahua mix named Papi who came to us from a grossly overpopulated shelter in the Southern US. He badly broke both bones in his left forelimb and because we are completely donation/sponsorship-funded the major orthopedic surgery that could possibly fix it was thousands out of our budget. Our amazing veterinarians set and casted it, changing it weekly for five weeks and I cared for him 24/7. Unfortunately neither bone healed at all and last week his leg was amputated...making him a Trihuahua. He and I have bonded more than I could have ever expected (I'm a big dog girl, having a Pit mix who alerts me to my epileptic seizures, a Mastiff before that, and other large breeds before her...), and as of today Papi is officially a member of my family 🙂 

Papi is an incredible guy who brings smiles and laughter to people everywhere we go. Each week after his cast changes I decorated them with gems and artwork, for which he sat perfectly calmly for hours while I worked. He ate up the attention as I carried him around in a sling with his blinged-out cast sticking out, looking like a rockstar hanging a tattooed arm out the window of his car. All of the visitors to the shelter spent time with him, the kids all loved to get his kisses and learn about his injury, and he taught them about the amazing things that our shelter does for animals in need. 

Our next step is going through our shelter's Therapy Dog Certification Program so that Papi can go visit people with traumatic injuries and amputations at childrens hospitals, veterans homes, rehabilitation centers, etc.

It's been a week since his surgery and becoming a Trihuahua and he's doing fantastic! He gets around great, even walking on TWO legs on the same side of his body when one of his feet got too cold when he went out to go potty in the subzero Wisconsin weather. Animals are incredible. 

Anyway, the little man would never admit to it, but he's...fancy. And a bit on the vain side. I've never had a dog that had to wear clothes...like I said I'm a big dog girl. But in this below zero weather, a half shaved ten pound dog with a flair for fashion has me searching for options. He is not very happy about the cold breeze that blows in through the empty arm hole of his shirts/jackets, and he feels foolish as he hops down the halls of the shelter with the empty sleeve flapping up and down like a lifeless chicken wing. Like I said, he's a bit vain. Plus, they tend to spin around on him. Do you know of any places that make sweaters, shirts, etc for front leg tripawds? I've searched and searched to no avail. 

Thanks so much!!

Reb