ADOPTED ON 09-06-14 –  Carmen didn’t get the memo that she is handicapped her southern foster mom says. When we asked her if she has any special needs, she said “None and certainly not because of her missing leg.” Carmen is described by her foster mom as a truly a wonderful girl with the sweetest little soul.

Carmen was a stray and was picked up by Animal Control in LA and her right rear leg was already amputated. She was turned over to Winnsboro Dog Pound where she was fully vetted, spayed and fully vaccinated by the volunteers. Carmen was lucky, the WDP has reverted to its previous kill policy and dogs are killed almost on a weekly basis.

The volunteers realized very quickly that she was a good dog so she was pulled from the pound and put into foster care.  She first went to a southern foster home with cats and goats and had to be restricted because she wanted to chase them.  She is now in foster with her 2^nd foster and is dearly loved and appreciated.

Her foster mom told us that the first night Carmen spent with her it tugged at her heart as she watched her find all the toys the other dogs had grown bored with and put them in a neat little pile next to her bed.  She loves attention but is not obnoxious about it, she knows when to give you space.  She loves to run—and is she ever fast! Her foster home has horses and yes, Carmen likes to chase them too so she can’t run as much as she would like to.

Carmen is not hyper even though she has to be leash walked.  She has not once ever had an accident in the house since her foster mom got her, she feels that she might have been the only one who has kept her inside, so obviously this is a skill she already had.  She is super smart, pays attention to you, is learning sit and down in about 5 minutes, and she also has picked up on several “conversational” commands–bedtime, stop snooping, let’s go see, etc.  She loves to chase a tennis ball, but she sees it as found treasure, and doesn’t want to bring it back.

Carmen’s is very observant, she is extremely careful of her foster Pomeranian that is a senior and blind, however, she is very playful with the other two healthy dogs. She gets quiet and still when it thunders but doesn’t panic.  Her mom tells us that at bedtime on the first night she was in her home she jumped up on the bed with the other three dogs and was told to “get down please”, she was shown her bed was.  Carmen kind of gave mom a “that’s not fair” look and got down and went to her bed; amazingly, it has never been necessary for her to be told again, not even once. She is a very special, sweet, smart girl.

Carmen gets walked three times a day and seems good with that. Even though she doesn’t often get “free play” time, she is not the least bit hyper. When she is around other dogs she seems to be able to evaluate what her behavior should be with each dog—full of life with the playful ones and careful with the older one.

Carmen would be great with children, she was with children in her first southern foster home and she was good with them. Not good with cats, nevertheless, if you want to put the time in, she would accept them. She has no food issues, no fears, is not protective and has a moderate energy level.

Carmen would do well with either a high-energy family or an easygoing family. It would be good if she could have a nice sized fenced yard, however, if you walk, jog or run, she could do well with that also.  It would be nice if she could have another dog, however, if you are the type of family that takes their dog everywhere and have children, she would love that.

Carmen has just got on with life, she whizzes about running as fast as some 4-legged dogs. It always takes a while for people to even notice she is missing a leg. She is not afraid of any challenge; she is a stand up kind of dog, a protector and she has no idea that she has 3 legs.

Carmen is just like any other dog – fun, loving, and full of surprises. She loves with her whole heart and wants to please, she greets each day with a happy tail wag and the energy to go and learn new things. She needs to live out the rest of her years as a happy, healthy dog with an owner who loves her unconditionally. Doesn’t every dog deserve this? She just needs an owner who will help her know that she is safe.  She is very sweet, well balanced, and ready for a permanent home. We hope that home is yours!

ABOUT THREE LEG DOGS

Most of us feel that having a pet with three legs means they will have a poor quality of life. The human has a harder time with the amputation then the pet. Diseases or injuries that require a pet to have a leg amputation are painful. By removing the painful limb, the animal can start to heal. The initial shock of seeing a own dog as a three-legged dog is a upsetting for some. Now that Carmen has fully recovered from surgery, she is as happy as any “normal-abled” pet. Carmen thinks having three legs is normal!

Carmen needs to be kept at a healthy weight. This is one of the most important things you must do as an owner because even by a couple of pounds will mean more stress on the remaining three limbs. It’s essential to realize that Carmen will not live a life of lying around doing nothing. On the contrary, most disabled pets go on to live very active lives.

Amputating at a young age is the best thing because they adapt and adjust so easily. The dog’s vascular system is very different to the human one. They recover from amputation very fast and heal a lot better than humans do. When you share your life with a tripod dog, you will naturally want to protect her from as many things as possible. It is important, though, to let a dog be a dog.

Please don’t be put off my adopting a three-leg dog. If a three-legged dog is kept from doing all the things that dogs love to do, she will have lived an unfulfilled life.

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DISCLAIMER: THE BREED POSTED ON OUR DOGS’ BIOGRAPHIES ARE OUR BEST GUESS BASED ON SEVERAL YEARS OF DOG RESCUE. ADOPTERS WHO NEED TO KNOW THE EXACT BREED OF A PARTICULAR DOG MUST HAVE THE DOG TESTED AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE.

Application instructions: click the link below to apply for adoption of this dog.

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Carmen didn’t get the memo that she is handicapped her southern foster mom says. When we asked her if she has any special needs, she said “None and certainly not because of her missing leg.” See for yourself, what her video.

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Click the expand button in the lower right corner of each video to view full-screen. See Cesar Millan’s tips on dog behavior.

http://youtu.be/Yv99TwwKeXU

Sponsored Dogs – They Need Your Help!

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