Hi. Brinkley is just about three years old. He used to have a big fenced back yard to run around in. We moved to our lake home, which has a much smaller yard. We put Brinkley in a kennel in the back yard while we went to work. About two months ago, he pulled the fence open in his kennel and escaped. We looked everywhere and call all the local shelters looking for him. After three days, I got a call from a veterinarian. Someone had found our dog, and the sheriff took him to the vet about 25 miles from our house. He said his leg looked pretty bad. I left work, picked up Brinkley, and took him to his vet, feeling confident it would all work out. My vet called me later, telling me Brinkley had been shot with a rifle and gave me three choices. We could try a orthopaedic surgeon, several hours from home, we could put him to sleep, or we could amputate. We chose amputation, and we are so thankful we did. Brinkley is now a spoiled house dog. He has a new teddy bear, a new bed and new dish. He is almost back to normal. He is still adjusting to the difference in balancing, and he tires very easily. We take him on a short walk every night and hope he can learn to pace himself and go further distances. I love him dearly, and I know the feeling is mutual. He is like a big cat. If I'm on the lawn chair, he tries to curl up on my lap (oh yeah, Brinkley weighs 110 pounds). He likes to have his chin rubbed like a cat, and when he is happy, he "woos" at us as if to tell us something. Brinkley's hobbies are swimming (mostly wading), being petted, eating apples, being petted, catching toads and being petted.

Sheryl Ziegler

Omaha, NE