Nearly a year was spent by an abandoned Pit Bull with an unsteady gait at Pasado’s Safe Haven, an animal refuge northeast of Seattle. Finnegan, according to Sanctuary Director Stephanie Perciful, was abandoned after months of suspected maltreatment and had consumed drugs. The dog ultimately wound up in a shelter, where he was in danger of being euthanized owing to his medical concerns, after being picked up as a stray multiple times.
Then Pasado’s came in to assist. They picked Finn because they anticipated that he would be more difficult to adopt. Although he is an absolute sweetheart, they did not know what his medical needs were at that time, but they knew that finding the appropriate home for him would not happen in a snap. He had so much potential and may have been declared “unadoptable” at shelters that lacked the time to find him the perfect home.
Since Finnegan had eaten drugs, including opiates and meth, potentially several times, the Pasado’s team was first tasked with checking his health. Finnegan was diagnosed with cerebellar hypoplasia after an MRI revealed that his cerebellum was not fully grown. The cerebellum governs motor abilities and that’s why Finnegan cannot move normally and appears uncoordinated. This is typically a genetic disorder in dogs, and there is no cure for it.
Finnegan’s care had to be exceedingly specialized though he remained to have a positive attitude.
The Pasado team worked diligently to help Finnegan acclimate to a life without obstacles. Finnegan also began hydrotherapy to enhance his strength and balance, and physical therapy helped him become more conscious of where his legs and feet were when he landed.
Finnegan has found his new home almost a year after being brought to Pasado’s. Someone came along who was willing to make these adjustments in their life in order to have such a lovely dog in their life.
Source: Pasado’s Safe Haven
