What happens to the Christmas puppies that are too sick, maimed or handicapped make it to the pet stores? A local rescue that works to save English Bulldogs knows the answer to this question all to well. The sick, the injured, those deemed not worthy to be sold are euthanized, often cruelly, at puppy mills.
Adele’s story
Recently, one of those puppies was rescued just in time. Her rescuer took the young puppy to a veterinarian who had worked with the Chicago English Bulldog Rescue (CEBR) once before. When she realized how much assistance this puppy would need to survive, she called CEBR to help.
The little female puppy is known as a “swimmer puppy,” which means her rear legs are extremely weak and stick out to the sides and she has little or no use of the legs. Last Friday, Molly Marino hopped a plane from Chicago, thanks to a ticket donated by a volunteer, to bring home the puppy, now known as Adele, giving her a second chance at a life and a family.
“Adele is quite the spunky little girl and is winning over everyone she meets,” says Marino. “While waiting for the flight, I pulled her out of her carrier and put her on a blanket at the airport. Everyone stopped to meet her and hear her story. She even met the pilot of the plane. Her story seemed to have quite an impact on everyone that heard it.”
Adele’s diagnosis
Because Adele wasn’t diagnosed and treated until she was six weeks old, her front legs are also starting to flail as she struggles to move. The condition puts her at greater risk because English Bulldog puppies with this condition put far too much weight on their chest and develop a flattened thorax and abdomen, which could compress her heart and lungs. Because of that, these puppies often don’t survive.
“Because of her spunk, I see so much potential in her to learn how to walk,” says Marino. “It will take a lot of work and she may need wheels for her back legs, but this girl doesn’t give up. In the few days we’ve been working with her she’s made such progress. She is not only a fighter, she just charms everyone she meets and really has an impact on people when they hear her story.”
That impact includes Marino. It was her plan to bring Adele back to Chicago and hand her off to another foster home. But, the little dog made such an impression on her that Marino is now fostering and working with Adele to help her with her recovery.
One of the things they are doing is “hobbling” her legs – basically binding them together by tape that extends her legs to the width of a normal bulldog stance so they no longer fly to the sides or “swim.” Adele has made it known that she's not too fond of this by chewing through the tape and nipping at Marino when she tries to tape her up. She is also working in a special Chute (or Bully Boardwalk) to help strengthen her legs (see video). Of course, Adele’s charm helped when the time came to build her special Bully Boardwalk.
“I went to Home Depot at Kimbell and Addison to get the items I needed and the manager asked me what I was making,” says Marino. “I pulled out Adele’s photo and told her story. The manager was in tears. She told me – we’re going to build this for you. I came back a few hours later with Adele, because I thought they all should meet her. They had made this wonderful, adjustable chute for us to start her therapy. Home Depot donated the chute, the labor and then delivered it to my home when it wouldn’t fit in my car.”
The long road ahead
The work is just beginning. Along with the Bully Boardwalk, Adele also works with a sling that wraps around her belly and helps her stay on her feet as she slowly moves forward. She uses a “belly roll,” which is a rolled up towel that supports her belly while her front and back legs straddle the roll and help her stand in the right position. The belly roll also helps her eat. Adele also builds up her leg strength using the sling in the tub for some hydrotherapy.
When Adele isn’t busy with her therapy and keeping the other dogs in line, she is contributing to her own blog so supporters may follow her progress. In the meantime, the Chicago English Bulldog Rescue is also looking for donations to help pay for her care. Follow Adele’s story on her blog, on Facebook or online.
Do you volunteer or work for a shelter or rescue that has programs you'd like to promote? Do you work in a pet-rleated business that has an interesting story to tell. If so, contact me at kathypetexam@gmail.com. Enjoy this article? Receive email alerts when new articles become available. Just click on the subscribe button above. You may also follow me on Twitter, Facebook or read my blog.
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