Three Legged Dog Club
Cassie's Club Members
 
Angel

Angel joined our household during a year we spent in Alaska.
She had been a shelter dog, but the folks who adopted her were too allergic to keep her, so we lucked out.

She's agile in snow, bounding, jumping, rolling.
She swam in glacier melt lakes and seemed to enjoy it.
We think she's got a lot of sled dog in her, as her coat is incredibly thick.

She is a 'triever, meaning she'll bring something back to you once.
She will not re-trieve, however.

Last winter, a bump on Angel's left rear leg got very big (we'd thought it was a cyst). It turned out to be a malignant tumor. We struggled a long time about what to do, especially since running and bounding seemed like so much of who Angel was. We thought she'd change a lot if she lost her leg.

After spending some time reading about the pups who are members of Cassie's club, we decided that it would all work out and had some specialist vets amputate Angel's leg. (BTW, our regular vets had a pretty lame bedside manner about the whole thing, they just didn't seem to get that this was a very hard decision for us to make.)

Angel is the exact same dog as before, only more streamlined.
We thought she'd have trouble runnning, but when she gets momentum up, few people would guess she was running on three legs. When she's just walking she has an extra up and down in her gait, but that's it. She still mixes it up with other dogs (mostly playing, sometimes with more emphasis). She still runs through the woods. And she loves (insists on) her two walks a day.

Thank you for maintaining Cassie's club.
It made a huge difference for us, knowing what we could expect.
Hooray for tripods!

Tom, J, & Angel
Virginia
Wednesday April 11, 2007

 
Sky

This photo is Sky when he first came home with us!
Hello - I am writing to say thank you for all the encouraging stories
I have read over the last couple months!

My story started on January 22, 2007.
My son and I visited the animal shelter to feed some dog treats to the dogs while we were waiting for another appointment.
I can't even tell you really why we went there, but we did.

We saw a pathetic looking border collie in one kennel.
When I asked about him, I was told there was something horribly wrong with his leg. I left that day, only to not be able to get that dog out of my thoughts!

I returned the next day to see him again.
He was in a small kennel.
When I opened the door, he just jumped in my lap.
I was told that he would probably be put to sleep because they thought there was nerve damage and he needed to have the leg amputated.
Understandable, the shelter could not afford the surgery with such an overwhelming population of stray dogs and cats in our area. They were going to have a vet look at him and give their opinion. I spoke with the vet who saw him to learn that he had radial nerve damage, most likely from being either hit by a car or maybe falling out of a truck.

I knew there was no way I could let this beautiful, otherwise healthy dog be put to sleep.

We brought him home and named him Sky!
He had a large cast on his leg, but you would never know it.
He had the most incredible spirit and just was so thankful for all the little luxuries we gave him. We tried all different things to see if he would get any feeling back in his leg. I ordered him a special splint to wear, but nothing seemed to help.

Unfortunately, this last weekend, Sky got an infection in his leg
from a small wound on his foot that just wouldn't heal.

Sky went into surgery Monday morning, April 9, 2007.
The surgery didn't go as smoothly as possible.
The vet said that he had a lot of bleeding and the surgery took longer than expected. I was told there was a chance he might not make it through the night, but due to good care from a wonderful vet and what I believe to be an impressive fighters spirit, Sky is doing great! He is scheduled to come home TODAY! We are so excited!

I know this is the best thing for him, and reading the many stories on this website has given me hope and a bright outlook on the future.
It has been so helpful to have an idea of what to expect through all this.

Sky is only about a year old, and hopefully has many, many more years together with our family. I know that this surgery will only slow him down for a very short while, after all, he is a border collie. He has a never ending amount of energy!
Thanks again!
I will send in more photos and an update as his recovery progresses!

Amy
Wednesday April 11, 2007

UPDATE:

Today is Saturday, April 14, 2007.
Wow, what a difference a couple of days makes.

Sky came home 4 days ago.
Already he seems back to his happy, go lucky self!

If anything, we have found it hard to keep him from being too active.

The first time I saw Sky after surgery, I must say it took my breath right out of me. No matter how many pictures you see of post surgery, when it is your beloved friend, it is just different.

He was pretty quiet the first two days,
but he still had a sparkle in his eye that was a reminder that everything would be uphill from here. He has no problem doing all of his normal activities. He runs, goes up and down stairs, and even figured out how to hold a chew bone with his one leg.

He not only makes us smile, but I think he is a great role model to my son and everyone who is around him that with the right attitude and spirit, you truly can overcome anything.

If there is something that he can not do now, he just figures out a different way to do it.

We all love Sky very much and are so grateful that we went ahead with the surgery. I know his life will be filled with happiness, as he brings so much happiness to us. What a great life lesson!

Amy Barberousse
Saturday April 14, 2007

 
< < Previous Page   Next Page > >