I get the same reactions. None have been negative yet. I get the "Awwww. Poor baby. What happened to her?" response. I just explain what happened and let them watch her a little bit. And then they get surprised and say "Oh! She gets around like she isn't even missing it." or "Hmmm. She seems to get around fine without it." I just reply with a yep, and a smile.

I love this thread! So many of you have such great responses…it's really helpful. Rumbles is nearly 6 weeks post-amp. I had nothing but positive and curious comments until this week. Someone asked what happened, I explained briefly…"he had cancer…we had his leg amputated…no other options, really…" and what I got in return was a back and forth head-shake followed by "some people will do anything for their dogs". I was stunned and didn't really reply. But now that I've read some of your snappy comebacks, I will be better prepared for the next jerk who crosses our new, somewhat wobbly path!

Here's my happy boy with the big, semi-toothless smile...who could ever think that we didn't do the right thing?

I remember taking Tess out after her surgery and got the "Awwww...poor doggie" thing, and I looked the person straight in the eye and said "Please don't feel sorry for her.  She doesn't feel sorry for herself."  It may have been my imagination, but I always thought I heard Tess laughing after I said that.

In late March of this year my leg was broken and I had to have surgery.  I am a very active person and riding horses is my hobby so being on crutches and in a wheelchair is very depressing.  Whenever I got down in the dumps I would look over at Tess and think "Be as good as the dog and don't feel sorry for yourself."  I walked 4 weeks and 2 days after my surgery, the earliest the surgeon had ever let anyone walk after my type of injury.  Clearly I had a good surgeon, but attitude helps a lot and Tess was my inspiration.

We learn so much from these marvelous creatures.

The only negative comments I've heard have actually come from kids, which distresses me more for the kids' sake in the end.  Just two kids though.  The first was when I had Yoda and he asked me why I just didn't get another dog - after I explained about the tumor Yoda had had in his leg.  I think I said something like, "Cause I like this one," and then moved on.  Once I cooled down from my initial reaction to the comment I was able to feel bad for the kid that he didn't understand the bond between people and dogs and that they aren't just things to play with and then dispose of when they break.  Wondered about his home life, frankly.  The other comment was from a kid who had recently had his own dog surrendered by his parent after we called Animal Control because the dog was getting out multiple times a day for about two months and finally came under our fence into the yard and Gerry and my housemate's dog went after the little guy.  We heard from neighbors who checked the dog out after that he wasn't bitten and seemed ok, but it was only a matter of time before that dog got run over or attacked by another dog.  Anyway, my point is just that the kid made his nasty comment because he was mad about losing his dog and blamed me.  I have to wonder though how upset he would have been if his dog had gotten run over instead.

I've gotten a little off topic here, but I have to vent that it amazes me how anyone in my neighborhood could let their dog run loose when they've seen Yoda and now Gerry.  I'd rather they did think "poor doggie," if it would make them more cautious about their four-legged dog's safety.  A lot of my neighbors let their dogs off leash in their unfenced yards, even though they will wander if not watched and some even used to walk their dogs off leash.  In recent years that has decreased, thank dog.  Who knows, maybe my tripawds did have an effect on some folks (or maybe somebody else called Animal Control on them).  But it baffles me how anyone from my neighborhood, who sees me and my Gerry (or me and my Yoda) walking through the neighborhood doesn't rethink letting his/her dog be unleashed and unfenced.  There are enough ways for a dog to get sick or hurt without making it easier.  Haha, I even got mad at an old episode of Lassie on TV yesterday because they were going on about some politician who thought Lassie shouldn't be allowed to run loose was so mean and rotten.  Could be where my neighbors got their ideas from.   Apples and oranges folks.  Our dogs don't live in the country and they can't be expected to follow complicated instructions like, "Lassie, run home and put the horse back in the paddock and close the gate," or "Lassie, always look both ways before you cross the street."

Ok, getting off my soapbox now...

I should say that we mostly get lots of positive comments and attention around here for Gerry (and previously Yoda).  Didn't mean to make it sound like we only get the bad - that's very rare.

I'm coming to this thread kinda late and wished I had found it earlier today.  We posted a picture of our dog Piper on his way to the vet for surgery.  My Aunt said "Poor guy. Doesn't have a clue what's coming his way".  It of course only made me mad and I wanted to say... "a longer life is coming his way".  If I'd read some of your ideas, I'd have had TONS of great lines to use!  

I especially like the payment plan comeback...genius!

I tell his story almost every day, because people ask all the time. In the, in the streets etc. Some of them ask "what happened to his leg?" or "poor thing..what happened". But some of them just come to me and ask "What happened?" without even looking at the dog a lot, so they confuse me - i dont even get they that talk about the dog lol
Most of people we meet on the streets say "poor thing" "people can be so mean and sellfish" etc but then i respond that people are jerks and that horrible thing happened to him, but he is fine now, and that he runs better than he walks, and he is happy to have a new home. (thats because i have him on leash, so they dont get to see how mobile he is, they only see him limping). People in the park mostly say "wooow look at him go! amazing! good boy! what a champ! etc"

I dont get a lots of comments from children, because I mostly try to stay away from them, since I dont know him very good. He is big and strong dog, and i dont want to make any risks. He has never shown any agression towards people, but children are small, make strange noises etc, so i stay away untill i will know him better.
For those who dont know, he was abandoned in the woods (together with his sister) this winter, at -20°C, his leg got stuck in a rock, was hurt badly and got frozen.

Im glad we have this thread, I thought I was the only not liking when people call him "poor". As a matter of fact, i thought something is wrong with me that i dont think he is "poor".

Really interesting thread! I don't have my tripawd yet, I'm [hopefully] adopting next week. I know many of you have saved your dogs' lives from cancer by amputating, so your answers to inquiries are a bit different. The dog I hope to be bringing home has a different story - maybe you can help me get ideas how to handle questions that might come our way. He is a 6 month post amputee as a result of entanglement in a chain, and the report I got is that he chewed his paw off to get free of the chain.

I don't know if this is an accurate story, the injury photos actually look like a pretty clean cut as opposed to a 'gnawing', although the two bones are broken off below the muscle. [As a nurse, I asked to see the photos, from a medical standpoint.]  At any rate, it's a rather gruesome background.

He will be my first tri. Thanks for your support.