Missing leg? No eyes? They deal, and then some
By Kim Campbell Thornton
April 28, 2008
My column this month is on pets that have overcome disabilities. We all know what great things they’re capable of, but for some people it comes as a surprise. As usual, I gathered more stories than I could use. Cassidy’s story made it into my finished piece but was later cut, so I thought I’d share it here.
Cassidy the Rottweiler hasn’t let a missing leg stop her. She lives with Becky Buffum of Austin, Texas, who adopted her when she realized no one else would want this loving but ‘defective’ dog.
On the adoption application, one of the questions was ‘What will you allow your dog to do?’ Buffum recounts. ‘My response was ‘Anything she wants.’
Since then, Cassidy has gone to dog camp, where she excelled at agility and lure coursing. She recently clocked 19 miles an hour at a ‘fastest dog’ contest and nimbly navigates the 150 steps down to the lake from Buffum’s home. She’s learned to swim and makes frequent visits to retirement homes and schools as a therapy dog. The only thing that’s difficult for Cassidy is walking slow, Buffum says.
Cassidy is probably more agile than either of my two four-legged Rottweilers,” Buffum says. “If you say ‘Try it,’ she says ‘Okay.’
It’s not all sweetness and light living with a pet who has a disability. Younger animals usually recover from surgery and start getting around more quickly than older ones. And if you’re considering adopting an animal with a sensory or bodily deficit, take your home environment into account, says Randi Golub, a veterinary technician who adopted two special-needs cats: Cassidy, who’s missing a leg, and Jimmy, who had both eyes removed.
If we had a bunch of active kids or toddlers around, I don’t think that would be the best thing for the cats because they need a patient, stable household. Because Jimmy’s hearing is so acute, I think being in a noisy house with a lot going on might be a little overstimulating for him. With Cassidy you have to move slow because sometimes he starts to go right and then winds up going left.
Of course, I’ve found that to be true with most cats. And Golub, a serial furniture rearranger, has had to curb her tendencies since adding Jimmy to the household. On the plus side, she’s gained two great new therapy cats.
I always tell people that my biceps were never in better shape than when I was carrying a three-legged greyhound up and down the stairs. What about you? Do you have any stories about the joys and difficulties of living with a special-needs animal?
Gratuitous Cavalier blogging: We’re planning the second annual Darcy FUNDay for Saturday, May 31. We’re planning a mini agility course if we can round up some equipment, a rally course, and best costume and best trick competitions. Cardiologist Michael Lesser will be speaking as will my friend and “pet edutainer” Arden Moore, who’s going to talk about cooking for dogs. I’ve collected lots of great prizes, and we’re planning a raffle and a silent auction.
Harper is on track to become a supermodel and Thornton traveling Cavalier (travelier?). She’s going to be in a cover shoot for a dog magazine and in a couple of weeks she’s flying to Oklahoma with Jerry. In the cabin, natch. As with everything else she does, I’m sure she’ll take to it with gusto.
Here’s a good one!
http://www.wonderpuppy.net/copper/
Comment by The OTHER Pat — April 28, 2008 @ 8:45 am
One time when going to Tallahassee, I bumped into a couple in Atlanta flying to Paris with a pair of Cavaliers. The two dogs were seasoned international travelers, even in the post-9/11 era. (The couple had a home in Atlanta and an apartment in Paris … nice!)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — April 28, 2008 @ 9:56 am
I have a one-eyed pit bull. He lost his left eye to glaucoma in the fall. While I don’t really consider him handicapped, he gets a tremendous amount of attention from the public for it.
Comment by katie — April 28, 2008 @ 10:20 am
These stories are absolutely inspiring, I wish the entire world could read this.
I did a post in March on behalf of my cousin who was born with Cerebral Palsy about 2 legged dogs, and there is literally EVERY type of two legged dog that out there. Bi-pedal, one back and one front leg on the same side of the body and a dog with 2 front legs left. Makes our aches and pains so trivial!
Wonderful post Kim!
Comment by WolfGirl — April 28, 2008 @ 11:13 am
We had the pleasure of having “Wheely Willy” at an event we sponsored.
He truly is an inspiration to all who meet him, especially children with disabilities.
http://www.wheelywilly.com/
Comment by Marcy — April 28, 2008 @ 9:38 pm
It’s an open secret in the shelter world that three-legged dogs are EASIER to adopt out than the same dog would be with a full set. Tripods get snapped up in an instant, all by people who are convinced that “nobody else would want a handicapped dog.”
An acquaintance fostered and then adopted a dog from the local shelter. He had been HBC, and the shelter performed very expensive surgery to save the leg. Lots of post-op pain, and not very successful rehab. The leg was a problem for him for the rest of his life. I think it had a lot to do with his persistent bad attitude, though “poor baby” vibes from his owner and the rest of the world also didn’t help.
Better if they’d had just done an amputation and let him get on with it. Better for the other animals the the shelter could have helped, too.
Tripod dogs do just great.
I once saw video of an ACD with two legs. One front, one back — SAME SIDE, not on a diagonal. The dog had been sucked into a baler or some other nasty bit of farm equipment. She could run like the wind, jump into a pickup, and work cattle.
Comment by H. Houlahan — April 29, 2008 @ 6:18 am
I belong to several yahoo groups concerning dogs that are deaf. One of our members recently came on and asked why any of us might consider adopting another deaf dog in the future. Her deaf dal was not expected but then she fell in love. Here is what I wrote in response. (it is long, so read only if you want to tough it out).
We “suspected” that Hector was probably deaf before we brought him home from the shelter. I like to believe that my son (who was the one who had final say on which dog we brought home that day) said we would bring Hector home, knowing that he was likely deaf, because one of Sean’s best friends, as he grew up, was disabled. So, he didn’t really see any issue with the deafness.
Hector and I have had our issues, but now that I look back on our past together, very few of them are a result of his deafness. The first 8 months or so of his life are unknown, but we suspect he was born to be trained to be a hunting dog, and his deafness prevented that. So he was likely kenneled for the first 8 months, given some level of interaction, but not lots. He was very standoffish in the beginning, not really warming up to us humans until he had his little hip accident that forced him and me to co-exist in a tiny bedroom together for 6 weeks, and that was nearly 8 months after we adopted him.
He developed a really severe OCD attack (for lack of a better phrase about 2 weeks after he came here. My son had always used the laser pen lights as a game for Nathan (his boxer) and Andy (spaniel mix), and so pulled it out one evening. For the next three days and nights, Hector only managed to hold still for a total of 15 minutes at a time, and then he was back to chasing whatever it was that he was seeing. Bill, my husband, almost took Hector back to the shelter. But this wasn’t related to his deafness. OCD happens with hearing, as well as deaf dogs.
He has shred more pillows, and blankets and stuffed critters, tried to block up his gut more times than I can count, climbed up on my table and turned it into a day bed, chewed wall corners and dry wall in the kitchen and laundry room, etc. I can go on. But none of these are related to his deafness. They are related to his being a high energy dog, with too much time on his paws, and not enough exercise. This is why, even though I probably should stop the behavior, I really don’t have a problem with him running up and down the side of the pool, chasing dust motes, dragonflies, butterflies, and invisbugs. He, at least, sleeps well at night, and far fewer things are being chewed on or destroyed.
Would I get another deaf dog? Certainly. Why? My answer is simple. Why not? There are very few things about Hector’s deafness that have made me change the way I do things. If I need his attention because he is getting into something he shouldn’t, I either have to get up and go distract him, slap the wall real hard, or clap my hands hard enough to make them sting. That usually gets his attention. Then I can let him know that whatever he is doing is a no-no.
He is the most responsive of my three dogs. Doe he obey my every command? Not on your life. But then, that is my fault, not his. I have never been a strong disciplinarian (just ask my son), but Hector understands me. He reads me better than Hannah (german shepherd) does, which is saying alot. And he is my cuddle bug. Is that because he is deaf? Don’t know. But it certainly helps in my decision to have another or several other deaf dogs in my life, in the future.
But, then, I am open to having blind dogs, dogs with three legs, dogs in wheelchairs, etc. The only reason I don’t have them in my life now is because of that damn pool in the back yard. Hector can see the pool; he knows how to get out if he falls in. I would be concerned about a blind dog or a tripod or a dog in a wheelchair being able to get out, so I won’t jeopardize them that way.
But, also remember, in my 30 years of nursing (OMG, it IS 30 years at the end of May), most of my career has been with disabled adults or children. I truly do not see disability as a problem. It is simply being differently abled.
Comment by Katrina — May 1, 2008 @ 3:47 pm
I know Miss Hop-A-Long Cassidy and she is as sweet and lovable as they come. We featured her on one of our Verysupercool Green Greeting cards last year! We think Therapy Dogs are Verysupercool!
Thanks for doing such a great post about Cassidy Kim! She’s a very special dog!
Comment by Verysupercool Sue — May 16, 2008 @ 9:35 am