Adopting a special needs dog is a really big commitment. Other than providing for their medical needs, their hoomans also make sure that they get the best quality of life. But since this can get overwhelming, a lot of people would choose to give up and abandon special needs dogs.
This happens a lot to breeders who get differently-abled puppies. Since they can’t make money out of them, it’s so easy for them to neglect these poor pups. That’s exactly what happened with Guppy who was born with swimmer’s syndrome.
The pup didn’t know how to walk using his legs so he could only move by swimming across the floor. He was dropped right off at a shelter in Tennessee which then called the Animal Rehabilitation Center in Michigan, asking if they can take in Guppy.
So two kind volunteers drove a total of 24 hours to pick up Guppy and bring him to Detroit. When he finally arrived, the Rehabilitation Center saw how bad the situation was. Puppies with swimmer’s syndrome can usually learn how to walk after two weeks of therapy, but that was not the case for Guppy because he was already six months old.
Alicia, one of the employees at the Animal Rehabilitation Center, focused on working with Guppy to help him use his limbs. They started with different exercises that would help him learn how to stand up. The pupper also went through a lot of hydrotherapy which taught him how to walk.
Vets usually suggest putting puppies with swimmer’s syndrome to sleep because of how hard it is to rehabilitate them. But Alicia was so determined to help Guppy walk and overcome his condition. She even ended up adopting him so she could continue the pup’s physical therapy at home.
Being in a home also allowed Guppy to learn more by being able to interact with another dog. Now, he can keep up with walking, running, playing, or even hiking with others thanks to his hooman who never gave up on him. Guppy is now living his best life in his forever home.
Video Credit: GeoBeats Animals