I am very happy to have found this site, and this forum!!  I would hope I'm posting in the right area, I'm new here, so please bear with me!!  I'd like to introduce you to my furkids, their names are Happy (german shorthair pointer), Jasmine (goes by Jazz, black lab), and Gatsby (german shorthair pointer).  All are rescue dogs from abusive situations.  Happy is 12 and a half, and in November of 2008 was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer.  Gatsby is fine, on the large side for a GSP, a big love bug and funny dog!!  Jazz is my lame and lazy dog.  I rescued her from people with an ad in the paper, they were going to put her in the pound and probably to sleep because she has a limp.  I went to look at her, saw those sorrowful eyes begging for help, and she came home with me that night, and never looked back.  She was so happy to get into my (a complete stranger!!) car, and never suffered any seperation anxiety.  I later learned that the people had kicked her, and broken her left hind leg (I already knew something was wrong because it wouldn't bend).  I took her to my vet, and he told me that after seeing the x-rays, there is nothing that can be done to heal her leg.  It was never taken care of properly, so the bones and joints are completely fused together.  Amputation is the only option besides leaving it like it is.  She isn't in any pain, and she gets around fine, climbs in my bed with me (sometimes needs a little help), and uses it to balance on when she pees (like a male, lifts her other leg, it's too cute).  However, that leg does throw off her balance, and her hips get really sore after walking or standing more than five minutes at a time.  The vet said she would get arthritis at an early age because of it.  So now I'm left with the question, leave it, or take it??  She's about seven years old (my best guess since I've had her for four years).  She's so used to having it, I wonder and struggle with this decision, do I leave it, or do I have it amputated and then she has a big adjustment to make??  I really don't know what to do for her, and like I said she's not in pain, so thus far I have done nothing about her leg.  As she is getting older, and I know she needs to lose some weight, I just wonder if I should go ahead and do the surgery??  I have done some PT with her, that doesn't help because everything is completely fused, those x-rays were the saddest thing I have ever seen.  You can pinch the pads of her paw on that leg, and she doesn't react.  If I even touch any other paw she immediately rolls over so I can pet her belly!!  I have tried flipping over that paw, so she's standing on the wrong side, and she doesn't know it, so I know there is nerve damage as well.  Finances are tough, but I have found a lab rescue group that will help with that.  I just don't know how to make the decision??  I've spent hours crying for her, searching my heart and soul for the right thing to do, and still don't know.  I feel that she does fine the way it is, so it might be kindest to leave it and not make her have to go through that adjustment.  But at the same time, I had a lab who was 13, and she had arthritis, and it almost killed me to see her like that.  Just wondered if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, let me know please!!  Thank you, and I look forward to getting to know all of you and your furkids!!