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The Disabled Pets Project

The Disabled Pets Project

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    © [y] Piglet International Inc., Melissa Shapiro, DVM<br>The Disabled Pets Project and website, disabledpets.org, is supported by Piglet International Inc, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
    WordPress Gutenberg

    disabledpetsproject

    Some of my veterinary colleagues recommended amput Some of my veterinary colleagues recommended amputation for Lucy's floppy foot. She had been HBC in CA before we she was rescued. The bones did not heal despite many surgeries, time, and lots of $$ invested. 

She can use her foot some on carpeting and soft grass but otherwise walks on 3 legs. This puts a strain on her left leg bc her knee isn't 100% stable on that side. The brace took over a year to figure out. I couldn't find anyone on the animal brace building side to build what she needed. That's another story. But a human prosthetist fitted her with this one which is literally perfect for Lucy. It protects her "bad" foot as well as her other leg. 

Moral of the story- go with your gut and advocate for your disabled pet. Things do change but right now this is the best solution for our little dog Lucy. 

#disabledpetsproject #nonunionfracture #prosthetist
    Denali, a 2 year old deaf Border Collie Rescue Org Denali, a 2 year old deaf Border Collie
Rescue Organization: @pinkheartrescue 
Facebook Handle: Rayna Wasilak
Instagram Handle: @the_waz_dogs 

Tell us a little bit about your disabled pet's story...
Denali was born deaf. His breeder realized he was deaf and got him to Pink Heart where I saw him posted on their Facebook page. It was in May of 2023 right around Mother’s Day so he was my present to myself.

How do you take care of him?
He knows sign language. He participates in agility, barn hunt, dock diving and other sports.

What's a funny or cute thing he does?
Any time he closes his mouth his tongue sticks out.

What do you want people to know about caring for a disabled pet?
Disabled pets can do anything non disabled pets can do. It may be a little different way of training but anything is possible.

The disabled Pets Project was created to Normalize disabilities in pets! Our new website disabledpets.org is a comprehensive resource for vets, pet parents, and rescuers who care for disabled pets. Check it out and share with others! 

And- please submit your awesome disabled pet for feature on disabledpets.org!

Join our Facebook group- The Disabled Pets Community for sharing experiences and support. 
#disabledpets #disabledpetsproject #deafdog
    Peggy Sue 10 yr, Chihuahua, front leg deformity, R Peggy Sue
10 yr, Chihuahua, front leg deformity,
Rescue Organization: Palm Valley Animal Shelter

Tell us a little bit about your disabled pet's story...
My mom was a foster mom to many pets, they all were so cute and lovable but then came Peggy. I remember when my mom got the call, I was 10 at the time. There was an emergency foster needed for a puppy who was rescued from a dumpster. Not to mention, it was cold and rainy when they found her. When we went to pick her up, I was not expecting how tiny she’d be. We decided on the name Peggy sue, because her unique paw was a peg leg for her! Peggy had grown very attached to my dad in particular. We couldn’t part with her so we ended up adopting her two months later. 10 years forward and she is now my best friend. She has been by my side through the most difficult times. I’m so proud to call her my dog. She is a ball of energy and brings so much happiness to those she meets!

How do you take care of her?
Very fortunate to say her disability doesn’t cause too much stress on her. I have noticed as she gets older though that she’ll rest on her other paw a lot when she gets tired. I worry for her joints. I try to massage her arm here and there and also give her some doggy aspirin on the extra hard days.

What's a funny or cute thing she does?
She loves her ball. Ball is her life. Throw a tennis ball in front of her (any size) and she’ll focus and play fetch for hours non stop. She also loves to cuddle me and gets super excited when I get home!

What do you want people to know about caring for a disabled pet?
Their disabilities should never take away from having the love and life these pets deserve. We can be their voices and their everything if we put our heart into it. In return, you can find something so special about these pets.

The disabled Pets Project was created to Normalize disabilities in pets! Our new website disabledpets.org is a comprehensive resource for vets, pet parents, and rescuers who care for disabled pets. Check it out and share with others! 

#disabledpets 

And- please submit your awesome disabled pet for feature on disabledpets.org!
    Pet's Name: Vera Mae Age: 2 yrs 10 mos Breed: Cata Pet's Name: Vera Mae
Age: 2 yrs 10 mos
Breed: Catahoula
Disability: Blind
Rescue? Yes
Rescue Organization: got at a flea market

Tell us a little bit about your disabled pet's story...
While at the local flea market, my granddaughter saw this small, dirty puppy in a cage alone. She asked the lady about her and the lady said she had cataracts so she couldn't sell her. My granddaughter took her and called me. She was a "gift" for me. Brought her home
Got her into a vet who confirmed she was probably born blind.

How do you take care of her?
Vera is treated like any other pet. She's very smart. Plays fetch, chases her sister, eats too much. She loves her daddy most. At 2 every afternoon, she goes to her kennel and naps for several hours.

What's a funny or cute thing she does?
When her companion dog takes one of her toys, she will go to her daddy to get loving and when Teeter gets jealous and comes running for the same attention, Vera goes to get her toy from her. Teeter falls for this every time.

What do you want people to know about caring for a disabled pet?
I don't say it's as easy as a non disabled pet, as we have to watch her extra hard when she's somewhere unfamiliar. We have a farm that we don't let her run free on because there are lots of hazards for her. If you can't give them full commitment, leave them for someone who can.

The disabled Pets Project was created to Normalize disabilities in pets! Our new website disabledpets.org is a comprehensive resource for vets, pet parents, and rescuers who care for disabled pets. Check it out and share with others! 

And- please submit your awesome disabled pet for feature on disabledpets.org!

Join our Facebook group- The Disabled Pets Community for sharing experiences and support. 
#disabledpets #disabledpetsproject
    Disabledpets.org is a supportive resource for vets Disabledpets.org is a supportive resource for vets, pet parents, and rescuers who care for disabled pets! 

Please share!
    Pet's Name: Pluto Age: 9 months Breed: Catahoula L Pet's Name: Pluto
Age: 9 months
Breed: Catahoula Leopard Dog
Disability: Blind – Double Merle
Rescue? Yes
Rescue Organization: Half-Way Home Animal Rescue (Illinois)
Instagram Handle: @Kathyroz54

Tell us a little bit about your disabled pet's story...
Pluto was brought to the rescue from a high kill rural area in Arkansas. He was only 10 weeks old. He was born blind as a result of being a double merle

How do you take care of him/her?
Pluto has acclimated well and navigates using his other senses.

What's a funny or cute thing he/she does?
Pluto will find you no matter where you are in the house and once he does he gets the cookies because he’s so excited to be close to you

What do you want people to know about caring for a disabled pet?
Other than a little navigation when he’s in unfamiliar territory he is no harder to take care of than a normal pup.

The disabled Pets Project was created to Normalize disabilities in pets! Our new website disabledpets.org is a comprehensive resource for vets, pet parents, and rescuers who care for disabled pets. Check it out and share with others! 

And- please submit your awesome disabled pet for feature on disabledpets.org!

Join our Facebook group- The Disabled Pets Community for sharing experiences and support. 
#disabledpets #disabledpetsproject
    Meet Mae, Bo, Frack, and Frick, 11 and 13 year old Meet Mae, Bo, Frack, and Frick, 11 and 13 year old Boxer and Pit Bulls., 3 seniors, one with dementia. They were rescued from Boxer Rescue and Austin Animal Center.
anitashobbies

From their mom- Each of our seniors were adopted from Austin local rescues. Mae was 8 and she passed away in 2021 at 11. She helped our Bo back in 2018 when he lost his buddy of ten years. They were companions until he died in 2020 of nature causes. We enjoyed Mae until she died of cancer in 2021. My husband and I adopted Frick and Frack at 9 back in 2021. They are brother and sister. In December, it will be 4 years we have had them. We have gained their trust but it took awhile since they were given up by their owners twice and in foster homes for a while. They are now 13 and doing okay but Frick has dementia now. We are taking care of him until the end.

How do you take care of them?
Our dogs aren't disabled but senior dogs. We connect with them by playing with them on their schedule, petting them with a dog brushes, and they get daily morning walks.

What's a funny or cute thing they do?
After almost four years with them, they still smack their mouths and drool when it's time to eat. This may seem trivial to most but not to us because they were only given dry food with their fosters. Now, they have some yogurt, premium gravy food, brown rice, and cooked chicken at different times with their dry food. All of which is approved by our vet.

What do you want people to know about caring for a disabled pet?
They need love as much as any other pet needs, and they seem to understand that we are trying to help them.

The disabled Pets Project was created to Normalize disabilities in pets! Our new website disabledpets.org is a comprehensive resource for vets, pet parents, and rescuers who care for disabled pets. Check it out and share with others! 

And- please submit your awesome disabled pet for feature on disabledpets.org!

Join our Facebook group- The Disabled Pets Community for sharing experiences and support. 
#disabledpets #disabledpetsproject
    Thank you to everyone who joined our Disabled Pets Thank you to everyone who joined our Disabled Pets Project Zoom tonight. It was awesome to get together with like minded people who care for and about our disabled pets. 

I'm thankful that over the years I've been able to love and support deafblind dogs, deaf dogs, a blind house sparrow, a parakeet with splayed legs, among many others. And I'm also thankful to have been able to get to know SO many other disabled pets and their people through our social media platforms. 

The disabledpets.org website is a work in progress. It is a growing hub of info for everyone who cares about disabled pets. I hope you'll check it out, send reliable resources to be added to the site, and submit your pet for feature on our page. 

Here- @oxfad, @loveyloaves @noahtheblindantibullyingdog, @sunglasscat, @littlemisslexie810
    Please come learn about The Disabled Pets Project Please come learn about The Disabled Pets Project and our new website disabledpets.org on Thursday night. The webinar is FREE and open to anyone interested in learning about the new resources for betas pet parents, and rescuers who care for disabled pets (senior pets too). 

The link is on the website disabled pets.org events page and in our stories!!
    Meet Today's Disabled Pets Project's Featured Pet! Meet Today's Disabled Pets Project's Featured Pet!

Hana, is a 5 year old deaf terrier mix rescued by Loved at Last Dog Rescue from the streets of Iran. 
Facebook: Rie Onodera
Instagram: @t.rie.o 

From Hana's mom:
Hana lived the first ~3yrs of her life on the streets of Iran. She arrived to Canada after being rescued with a broken jaw, lump on the back of her neck, and hearing impaired. We are uncertain whether she was born deaf or became deaf due to an accident. She is a sassy and spunky girl who is reserved at first but fiercely loyal and full of love! We had to extract many teeth and although we tried to fix her jaw with a plate, it just wouldn’t take. Also the lump on her neck is a fatty lump not a tumour.

How do you take care of her?
I communicate with her visually and with soft strokes on her back when I need to wake her. And I constantly smother her with love!

What's a funny or cute thing she does?
She does a tippy tap dance when she is excited or happy with the biggest smile!

What do you want people to know about caring for a disabled pet?
Disabled pets have so much love to give! It is a bit of a challenge at first (like with the puppy-phase) but in time you will bond and that feeling when you click…is amazing! Also, they are just like any other dog and enjoy cuddles, walks, swimming, treats, etc.

The disabled Pets Project was created to Normalize disabilities in pets! Our new website disabledpets.org is a comprehensive resource for vets, pet parents, and rescuers who care for disabled pets. Check it out and share with others! 

And- please submit your awesome disabled pet for feature on disabledpets.org!

Join our Facebook group- The Disabled Pets Community for sharing experiences and support. 
#disabledpets #disabledpetsproject
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    This website is sponsored by Piglet International Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Visit PigletMindset.org to learn more about Piglet International Inc.

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