This weekend marks my 12th year with Comet!  When I first started my business, I had a picture of her on my website titled "Comet, My 3-Legged Cutie".  I wrote this story in 2001 about her since people would ask.  I had almost forgotten about it.  It was written right after I got Rugby, a german shep mix who died suddenly in 2009 from a cancer tumor on the heart.  Comet would have been 2 years old at the time.

And although, she and I have been through so much together with all of her ailments and emotional issues throughout the years, I couldn't imagine life without her.  I truly believe "something" brought us togetther.  

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Written in 2001.

The story behind "Comet" –

Comet, is and will always be one of the sweetest and rewarding pleasures in my life. Fate brought us together…

I make a point to never go to an animal shelter because I would take all of the dogs home with me. But this particular day in 1999, I had a reason to be there. I wanted to make sure a stray dog had gotten picked up off the streets. So, as I searched the cages for this stray dog, and this is when I saw little "Comet". From the first glance, I wanted to cry. Her shoulder blade was pushed to the side of the chest and her little leg was pointed straight almost in front of her, the leg looked "lifeless". I couldn’t help but stop to see what was wrong with her. I was enraged that the shelter had not done surgery to correct this little leg and twisted shoulder. She was even marked down to a $10 adoption fee. From that moment, I was determined to pay out of my own pocket to have her leg fixed so someone would adopt her. I already had 3 dogs of my own, I certainly couldn’t adopt her.  After all, she was just a young puppy.

All the shelter employees were so busy and I couldn’t find anyone to ask about her, so I gave up and left.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her, so I went back the next day. I was finally able to ask a shelter employee about her. The employee’s first words were, "I don’t think you’ll want her, she’s snippy." The employee went on to tell the story of Comet…

Comet had been in a disgusting house where 22 dogs were found all cooped up. The people who owned her luckily were turned into Child Protective Services for child neglect. It was Child Protective Services who stumbled onto the poor dog situation. All 22 dogs were stuffed in the house, neglected and starving. Animal Control removed all of the dogs. Unfortunately most of the dogs removed were in too bad of shape to save. Comet did survive.

I explained to the worker, I just wanted to pay to get her leg fixed. The employee told me I would have to adopt her and "she’s only $10". I knew this would be impossible with my three dogs already but I just had to see her up close and hold her to let her know that someone cared. The employee reluctantly took her out of the cage (because she was snippy). As soon as the worker took her out, I reach down without hesitation and Comet let me pick her up. She touched my soul from that moment on. I knew she needed me and I couldn’t walk away.

Comet’s problems are from a birth defect, probably from a lack of nutrition under the circumstances. Her leg is attached but doesn't work. The joint is fused together. The leg crosses her chest and doesn't bend and cannot be fixed. I didn’t have it removed because she immediately came down with pneumonia when I took her home. It took almost 2 months for her to recover and by that time I realized she used the leg to prop herself and paddle the tennis ball when she plays. She is deformed in other ways but they are so adorable…her ears won't stay folded down, she has a severe underbite, bad crooked teeth, her hips are crooked and she has too many back toes!

Even though it was a tremendous struggle bringing her into our family – my other dogs have since passed away – I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.  She is a delight and I consider her one of smartest and most animated dogs I’ve ever had.  She has slowly become a normal dog through years of offering a safe place.  However, she is still reluctant to let anyone touch her except for people she knows.  I think this has become a game to her in the recent years since she really is lovable.  She has found much comfort with her new brother, Rugby (another shelter dog).  He adores her and they play for hours together.  If only he wouldn’t use her bad leg to drag her…  

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