Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I have been thinking a lot this weekend about how many of our friends have crossed the Rainbow Bridge this year. It seems like a lot, but maybe it's just because some have fought so hard and for so long that it feels like a lot. Anyway, it's made me rather thoughtful. One of the things I find myself returning to is how many of us found our dogs when we took a road we hadn't planned to take. How many of our absolutely precious and phenomenal dogs were a breath away from not having a home, not have a home with us, maybe dying alone along a roadside.
We found Dakota by driving down a dirt road to see what was there. Well, Dakota was there, walking down the middle of the road toward us. You tell me he wasn't coming to meet us.
I know Charon found Gayle under similar circumstances, and I think Elizabeth also found Sammy the same way.
I'd like to know just how many of us here were seemingly united with dogs that were waiting for us to find them in this way (or something similar). If anyone else besides Charon, Elizabeth and me found our dogs by driving or walking a way we wouldn't ordinarily go (or our dogs called us to them), please reply. I'm very curious.
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
I hate repeating my stories because I'm so afraid I'll sound like a broken record!
But, I found Comet in the shelter not looking for a dog but for other reasons. Getting a dog was the last thing on my mind! I had 3 at home!
A dog wandered up the office I worked at and we put it in the back gated yard at our office. A client of mine wanted to look at the dog because she thought she'd take it. I had to leave for a meeting and came back and the dog had dug out of the fence and was gone. So, I head out to the shelter to see if got picked up by chance.......and that's when I saw this little dog with this horrible dislocated-looking shoulder blade! (her leg didn't look abnormal because she was a puppy and it fit her body at the time)
I went back again the next day hoping I could get her shoulder fixed and pay for it. That's when I picked her up and we connected with a kiss. The shelter worker told me her story of coming from a hoarder that had 22 dogs in a house. But she didn't tell me that her shoulder blade and leg were deformed nor did she seem to know. She just said, she is $10 and then you can get her shoulder fixed.
I got her two days later (because they were closed on Sunday!). The rest is history.
MB Rocket......well! He was one that I said, "he'll do!" after losing my Rugby and knowing Comet needed a companion. I know Rugby didn't send him to me because surely he would have sent me a sweet German Shep boy to help take care of Comet and not a terrier with synthetic-feeling messy hair that teased Comet!!!!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Dakota Dawg said:
We found Dakota by driving down a dirt road to see what was there. Well, Dakota was there, walking down the middle of the road toward us. You tell me he wasn't coming to meet us.
Shari, I got chills when I read this. And tears in my eyes. And a warm, happy feeling in my heart. Thanks for sharing.
You could never sound like a broken record Comet!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
These are such good stories, I would love to hear more!
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
Well, after we discovered Jerry's Acres we headed back to Eureka, California to retrieve our remaining possessions from storage after our nearly 3 years on the road. Little did we know we would swing by Oaktown and come home with Wyatt Ray Dawg!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
The date: Father's Day 2000.
The scene: Stupid Petsmart. I was with a friend who was buying cat food.
Me: Selling my home and moving, without new living arrangements lined up. Already had been turned down for several rentals because it was a short term lease (less than a year, while we built our current home) and we had large dogs.
Her: Found wandering along the road on Bainbridge Island and turned into the Humane Society. Already spayed at 8 weeks. Tag says "Large breed. German Shepherd/Lab Mix." Just something about that face that I couldn't say no to...
I played with her through the mesh of her cage, she nibbled on my fingers with her sharp little puppy teeth. It was love at first sight. But, I walked away from her, knowing that there was no way I could take her. My very helpful friend suggested that we go back for one last good-bye before we left the store. I knew that it wouldn't be a good-bye if I did.
The rest is history...
 |
~ ~ Rio ~ ~ |
These stories are so sweet!
I put a shortened version of our story in the Tripawd Heroes book - and it's not really an unplanned road story, so much as Fate sort of playing the shell game with us.
There was a tall, skinny, white & tan speckled very calm pup (named Viona) that I fell in love with at the shelter I volunteer at. I met her the Monday before Thanksgiving - but hubby couldn't get out of work in time to go meet her before they closed. The next day, she was gone. I was crushed. But then the Wed before Thanksgiving, I checked their site again and there was a new pup (Abby - at the time named Smooch) who looked so much like Viona I thought they were siblings. Both were being called Shepherd mixes and both had the same guess for a birthday. They were closed on Thanksgiving, so we were there to meet her first thing on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and of course fell in love and took her home.
About a week later, Viona got returned! (The family said she was too jumpy and bitey - which was exactly like Abby... so they returned her because she was too much for their small kids.) Viona was there for ~2 months, torturing me every time I went in on my assigned day. She looked SO sad - and because she'd been returned for being a "problem" dog (really - just a regular ol' high-energy pup) they put her on restricted access so volunteers weren't allowed to interact with her - only the staff. I wanted to take Viona home too - but I knew with Abby already being a handful it would be too much. For the longest time I couldn't understand why Viona got snatched away from us (we would have NEVER returned her!) but now I think Fate just wanted to make sure Abby got into the hands of someone who could give her as good and as long a life as possible. Somebody else might have put her down when they got the cancer news - and then she would never have had the awesome past 14 months that she's had. (And Fate probably also wanted to teach us to Live In The Moment - which we've tended to not be great at in the past.)
The funny thing is that by the time Viona got adopted she was a much bigger girl - she ended up being kinda short and stocky and nothing at all like our tall, skinny supermodel girl. Clearly, they were NOT siblings. (In the end they changed her from "Shepherd mix" to "Great Pyr." mix, and she finally went to a couple that I hope loves her as much as we would have.)
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Last spring, Miss Pegz was one of the last dogs loaded on to a transport trailer, sent by our local rescue to save a bunch of dogs from being euthanized in a high kill shelter. She had less than no chance...she is at least 11 years old and in addition to a missing her front left leg, her back left leg is severely lame. I found out later that there was a big question as to whether she should even take up a slot on that transport.
Once rescued, she spent 6 months in foster care and was almost euthanized again due to a misdiagnosis. I began to volunteer with the same rescue organization that saved her and was watching her updates carefully. My heart was melting...especially when I saw her YouTube video. She was CHASING her two big labrador foster siblings and wearing a super cute bandana. 🙂
We know we will not have a whole doggie lifetime with her, but we are cherishing every second. She is a treasure beyond words.
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