At first glance, your heart may break for Roo, the 8-month old chihuahua mix with undeveloped front legs. Looking closely though, you may see the little smile that Roo holds on his face.. and it remains there all the time. Roo loves life. He loves other dogs. He doesn't know what it's like to sprint through a backyard, doing "zoomies" and enjoying the wind rushing past his face, but he's okay with that.
Roo is familiar with hopping along on his back legs and army crawling on his little elbows. However, a dog's body is not meant to distribute and carry weight this way, so Roo can often be seen trying to prop himself on people or other objects in order to keep his back horizontal and free from stress. Despite these issues, Roo is one of the kindest, most gentle souls that we have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
To give Roo the life he deserves – freedom to run laps, freedom from pain, freedom to live life to the fullest – we have asked you for help. With your outpouring of love and support, we have raised enough funds for Roo's very own, customized doggy wheelchair! This chair will allow Roo to live like a normal dog – even though he is anything but. His wheelchair has been shipped and should arrive next week!
But wait. Where did Roo come from, you ask? And why does he only have two functioning back legs?
Roo came to Lenawee Humane Society (LHS) with ten other chihuahua mixes in early July of 2015. Each and every dog was adored by their owner, which is evident in their outgoing, loving personalities. However, as each dog reached maturity and began reproducing, problems began arising and Roo's owner knew he needed assistance.
As a compassionate organization dedicated to not only saving the lives of animals, but also to enriching the lives of humans, LHS did not hesitate to offer as much assistance as we could. Ten of thirteen dogs were signed over to us so we could find them new homes and the remaining three were spayed and neutered through the Hope Clinic.
Roo's undeveloped front legs are caused by genetics and they are hereditary. Because this large group of chihuahuas was initially produced by only a few dogs, the whole crew is ultimately related in some shape or form. Inbreeding and selective breeding happens often in dogs, especially in the world of purebreds when breeders are trying to improve certain traits and characteristics. In Roo's world, however, inbreeding has taken the opposite turn and abnormal dogs without front legs are the result.
Initially, we believed Roo was the only one with this issue. However, when our second set of chihuahuas arrived, we were surprised to discover that two out of four new puppies were also missing their front legs! They've been dubbed Joey and Scooch and they are currently in a foster home, learning to walk horizontally in a sling. We're hoping wheelchairs will be in their futures as well.
Roo, Joey, Scooch, and their other crew members are healthy, loved and have wonderful futures ahead of them. Without YOUR love and support though, we would not be in a position to offer them a second chance. A donation to our Special Needs Fund not only impacts the lives of this crew, but it also allows us to help the next dog or cat who enters our facility. When our Special Needs Fund is depleted, funds are removed from our General Fund for animals who need immediate assistance. This makes those pesky utility, maintenance, and other ongoing costs difficult to cover – which are extremely important to keeping our building up and running.
Please consider a donation to Lenawee Humane Society today. Be the reason that Roo speeds off into his new life, the reason Joey and Scooch grow up with normal lives, or the reason your favorite cat is granted emergency surgery after being hit by a car. We cannot always prevent issues from happening but together, we absolutely can be the life-saving force that animal has been searching for.
