Our tripawd story starts at the Charleston Animal Society, an SPCA shelter in Charleston, SC.  My wife, De, is the Director of Humane Education at CAS (award-winning, I might add!).  We were at the shelter one Saturday to set up for an event when she told me about this black lab that had been brought in by animal control.  He had presumably been hit by a car sometime before being picked up as his right front leg was shattered when they found him.  He also had an embedded collar and was heartworm positive.  He was a "hot mess," as De likes to say.  

When he arrived at CAS the vets had to act fast.  They decided to try to save him  - they amputated his injured leg at the shoulder, surgically removed his collar, and put him on an aggressive heartworm treatment.  He made it through surgery and had been recovering at the shelter for several days when I first met him.   

What struck me immediately was how resilient this guy was!  After everything he had been through, all he wanted to do was play, be petted, and go for a walk.  No loathing or self-pity in his game.  Rather, an acceptance of his circumstances and a desire to get on living.  A life lesson we should all heed.  

Well, the vets at CAS clearly knew a sucker when they saw one.  Watching me interact with him, they quickly suggested we should foster him in our home to help him recover (which I agreed with, of course).  That was the end of it.  As soon as we got him home he became my shadow.  His recovery wasn't always easy, but we got him through it, and then adopted him permanently into our home.  We decided to call him Louie, short for Lucky Lefty Laydown Louie ("laydown" because his favorite move is the "stop, drop, and rollover" for a belly rub). That was over two years ago now.

I think it's fair to say Louie hit the jackpot with us.  We are fortunate enough to live at the beach, and Louie takes full advantage of it.  He loves to chase birds up and down the shore and swim with his brother and sister.  I still get a kick out of seeing the looks on the faces of people when they realize this dog keeping up with the pack only has three legs!  It's priceless. 

He also loves golf cart rides.  I don't remember exactly when it started, but anytime Louie sees our golf cart parked in the driveway he runs and jumps onto the front seat then just waits there until someone takes him for a ride!  He's also been known to jump on other folks' golf carts, whether invited or not.  

Outside his newfound recreational activities, Louie also plays an important role in the community.  He is an Ambassadog.  As part of De's humane education program at CAS, she visits schools throughout Charleston County where she teaches students, among other things, how to interact with animals safely and humanely.  And Louie is one of her teaching assistants!  The kids love seeing him and giving him treats (safely, of course).  If we happen to be out and about on a weekend it's inevitable that some kid will run up to De and Louie with huge smiles!  It's very cool to witness.

Thanks for letting me share Louie's story.  I suppose the moral of it, consistent with the message Tripawds promotes, is that three-legged pets can - and do - live happy, healthy, and productive lives.  We are blessed to have one in our lives.  His resilience and determination are an inspiration to me.