Romy isn't the only disabled animal I have in the house. No, Jared, my pet rat(one of the 11 pet rats I own) lost his eye when he was really little.
Normally, I don't buy pets in a store, I go to shelters or a recognized breeder, but I bumped into 70!!! rats in a store, in really bad conditions. At the moment, I was a member of a Belgian rat shelter and I informed them about those 70 rats. They told me to come to an agreement with the store (no more selling of rats) and they'd take all 70 rats into their shelter. 
The store promised as so and off I went, with two cat carriers full of rats...

At home, I took al look, found my one eyed man and a look - a - like sister and I kept them. 
Jared's sister is fine, she lives in a cage with only other females,. But Jared...Well, that eye needed to be operated, or he could die. So we took the expencive operation. Unfortunally, because he can't see what's coming, Jared attacks everything coming his way. So, I have to keep him in a seperate cage, on his own. Such a pity, as rat's are group animals and need at least one compagnion of the SAME SEX with them.

If it wasn't enough that Jared lost his eye, he developed another problem. Al abcess'  'round one of his front legs. My regular vet told me I couldn't do much more than giving him a pain killer, as an operation was impossible. 
So, that's what I did. But well, thanks to Faith's story, I'm concidering finding a vet, that's willing to amputate Jared's front leg, so the abcess' can be taken away and he can eat more comfortable than he can do now. 
The only thing keeping me from the operation is that I'm afraid of loosing him. I don't want him to die. He's just one year old, about 1/3 of his life just passed by, he is independed and doesn't show that he's in pain much (but still, be carefull, rat's are good in hiding pain ;) ), so I really don't know what to do. Don't wanna loose the little guy already...

Anyway, pictures:

As a 'baby' :-)

About 5/6 months old

a

And the last pic for now, taken feb 9th 2011 :-)

Well, the story began, somewhere in August2007, when Romy was born. I came into her life about  11 months later, finding her and her sister Abby somewhere on a website of a cat shelter.
They where both disabled, because of in - breed. They came from a guy, who was addicted to drugs and alcohol and didn't actually bother about the cats much. Just throwing them some food and water, was all he did. Or at least, that's what they've told me. 
Anyway, I was interested in both the disabled young ladies, but as Abby was worse, the lady from the cat shelter told me she'd take care of Abby herself, as it was too much work for a young lady like myself. So, I went home with my Romy.
Where Abby couldn't walk, feed on her own, or go to the litter, Romy could do that all by herself. What is wrong with them? Ah, well, they're both balance disturbed. Abby her condition was so bad, she couldn't do anything herself...
Romy regularly trips when she walks. When she wants to go from point A to B, she sees the entire alphabet, as figure of speech. And trips like a zillion times. Yep, she indeed bumps her head regularly, but well...She isn't used to anything else.

I can't let her go outside, so most people never really seen Romy. When I did my story on a cat forum, people told me that I had to put Romy asleep, she'd be suffering less than she'd be when she was alive, people thought of me as selfish, because I wanted Romy to live. Well, I am proving them W R O N G. 
Friends understand me, but it's always a bit of a scare when they first see her. I'm used to it, when she trips and bumps against whatever that's 'in the way', but they all look at her, with those big eyes, afraid she might hurt...or evven kill herself that way.
She indeed lost a tooth by bumping into whatever it was, but I went to the vet, they took the last bit away and that was it. No harm done. 

Romy lives in a house, where she can run around as much as she wants and has 3 cat friends who play/fight with her. The reactions when THEY first seen her. Sometimes they do stare at her and it seems like they're thinking 'What the hell? Freak!' but, oh, well, they do wash her, they're used to her(after 2 years. I moved in here when I had romy already with me). 

Looking at her on this picture, you wouldn't say anything is wrong with her, now would you? :-)

 

Yeah, she likes bags xD

Cuteness:

She likes the most odd places to sleep (under my huge rat cage):

Here you can suspect somethings 'wrong' with her, but still, the cuteness <3

So, that's the story about Romy. She'll be 4 years old this summer. She's absolutely fine and I am happy I am the one who gives her a good home. :-) 
 

Hi, it’s me Bella Joy.  If you want to you can call me Bella or just BJ.  I am a chiweenie, that is a mix between a Dachshund and a Chihuahua.  At seven months old I weighed 7.4 lbs. and they say I shouldn’t get much bigger.

When I was born on September 2^nd, 2010 people said I was special but I think everyone is special and I am not really that different from anyone else.  You see I came to the rescue because I was born without front legs…never had them and I don’t miss them so no big deal.  Some people that I have met just stand and cry and I don’t understand why.  I love my life and I am very happy.  I used to just hop around but now I walk upright a lot too!  I believe you just deal with what comes your way and move on and boy can I move fast when I want to.

I have had my vaccinations and am spayed.  I love to play and other dogs are fun too.  I haven’t really been around cats so I can’ tell you what I think about them.  I haven’t really been outside so I use a potty pad; well at least I try to always use it. I would like to continue to get better at walking upright so maybe we can work on that some more as my back gets stronger every day.

I am ready for my own family and a forever home.  Are you willing to give me a place in your heart and home?  Please don’t fill out the adoption application for me at www.dogsasfamily.com if you just feel sorry for me because I want to be accepted for being just me, Bella Joy.  I will bring a “beautiful joy” to your home. If you have questions you can call my foster mom at 405-771-4742.

Nemo is an inbred Blue Heeler born 2/14/2010, and was born without his front left leg (only a tiny nub with one claw), and his right front leg was deformed and had to be amputated.  That doesn't stop him at all though, he doesn't walk around quite like Faith, prefering to hop like a rabbit, but still stands up all the time and will sometimes walk when it's over ground that's uncomfortable, messy, or doorways.  We have tried to get him accustomed to usually a wheelchair, but there's no convincing him that there's anything wrong with him and therefore there's no need for this contraption.  Thankfully he's very small for his breed, which allows him to get around easier with less strain on his legs and back.  I fostered him for several months last year, until he went into his forever home at the end of July 2010.  I'm lucky to still be able to have contact with him and dog sit him from time to time.

         Shane

(top pic is taken March 2011, bottom pic was taken about April 2010)

On 10 August 2010, my 6-year old chocolate lab was diagnosed with osteosarcoma located in his front left paw.  After a few more tests, our wonderful vet (Dr. Brian Hastings) felt confident that the cancer had not metastasized.  My husband and I decided that the right thing to do was to give Bosco a 2nd chance at life and agreed to having his front left flank amputated on Friday, August 13th.  It's now a little more than 5-weeks later and it hasn't been easy but we do not regret our decision.  Bosco has his ups and downs but I am totally convinced that we humans could learn lessons from our fellow animals especially about living life in the moment.  Humans, myself included, can learn from animals who live in the moment and not the past but we are too busy complaining and feeling sorry for ourselves!

Thank you Faith and Bosco for giving me more inspiration!!!

7 years ago my life was in a mess.  I'd been disabled all my life and suddenly, at the age of 53, my health took a turn for the worse and I had to become a full time wheelchair user.

I was so depressed, I was at an all time low and went to the doctor for help as I was feeling suicidal.  He put me on Prozac (of course) and though the drug kept me kinda like in a zombie zone I still wasn't happy.

Then I prayed one night and believe it or not as I prayed the answer came to me.  A dog, that's what I needed, to take my mind of my own problems.  I'm never gonna work again so I have the time to give to what would surely be a companion.

Strange thing is, like the owners of Faith, I felt it wasn't just any dog, that one specially for me would be sent my way.  I waited and I waited, nearly a year went by.  I looked in the ads in the local paper but never felt the dogs for sale were right for me.

Then it happend.   I saw an ad and it stood out like a beacon to me.  This was it, a litter of border collie pups for sale.  I just knew then this was my dog.  Trouble was I had no money so had to go round borrowing and begging.  I bought Nacho, a tiny bundle of fur.  

As soon as he came home we both gelled immediately and he lay on my chest to sleep that first night.  As the bond grew I became aware I was no longer depressed.  I told my doctor I was stopping Prozac.  He advised against it, saying I should be weaned slowly.  But I insisted and haven't been back to my doctor for 4 years.  i gave up smoking because I realised it wasn't good for Nacho.

Since his arrival my love of life has returned and there's been no more dark thoughts.  He's real cheeky, if I have cause to moan at him he barks back and gives as good as he gets.

But it's the way he is always so happy to see me.  He follows me everywhere and jumps on my knee, and as I'm in a wheelchair and he's now far too big to sit on anyone's knee this looks comical but he doesn't mind.  If we visit a place where I can't access, like the beach, and friends offer to take him down to the water he refuses point blank.  If I can't go he won't go.

He has epilepsy and takes fits now and again so I have to be there for him.  As he's always there for me.   Dogs are a gift from God, I have no doubt of that.  They teach us to love at moments in our life when we think love has gone AWOL.

Help!!! I seem to be missing something here. How do I post photo here.

Our dog Niña was born in Ecuador, januari 1993 at a farm in the province of Sucumbios.

She was born with two heavily deformed hind legs:  both missed the shin-bone, and as a result the fibulas had the shape of a C. One knee-cap was also missing, the other completely misplaced. The hind legs were twisted to the outside and limb from where the knees should have been. There were some abnormalities in her spine as well.

Of course we didn’t know of all these details when we first met her while on a course at an agro-forestry project.

All we saw was a little boy, about 2 years of age, dragging along a little puppy by a front paw  as if she were a teddy bear. The puppy was squealing, but nobody seemed to be bothered by it. Her hind legs looked as if they had been broken, but the owner assured us the pup was born like that

As we were there as students, working on a project, and would leave in about 3 to 4 months, we hesitated on what we should do, but in the end we bought her from the parents and took her in.

We wanted her to experience a better life and some love and proper attention, even if this would mean that we would have to let her be euthanised.

We went to see a nurse in the welfare center (there not being any vet) to get her opinion on the hind legs (the puppy did not seem to be in any pain once the boy had let her go), and she agreed the legs were deformed due to a congenital defect.

So we set out for Quito and went to see a vet (an 8 hour drive in the back of a lorry) to get her shots and ask his opinion on  her chances of survival, and the ministry to find out whether we could take her back to the Netherlands (Holland) with us.

We managed to get everything arranged and in July we took her home with us.

In the Netherlands we visited the Vettinary University to see whether she could be helped with  prostheses or  a wheelchair, which were a novelty at the time.

Then the deformities of the spine were discovered, and the professors told us they could try and operate, but the risks of her not being able to walk at all after surgery were quire high, while the chances of success were very slim.

Since Niña did quite well on her own (when she ran I couldn’t keep up with her), we decided against surgery.

We did try to get her into one of those wheelchairs, but she lifted it in the air when walking, so it was a burden instead of a help. Eventually we decided (and the vet agreed) we did not want to make her dependent on something she obviously did not need. She could balance on her front legs perfectly well and her whole body adapted to it.

When Niña got older we made a backpack so we could carry her whenever we went for a walk that was to far for her (in forested areas the walk never seemed to be too far, so it was largely used in urban situations).      

It was very obvious Niña did not like people at all, which did not surprise us at all giving her background of being kicked around as a puppy.

In all about 20-30 people succeeded in winning her trust (and were all very proud of achieving it), and to those people she was the best dog in the world.

Now I think maybe we could have helped her with the aid of a behavior expert, but since we never knew they existed we never tried. That’s the one thing I regret about having Niña.

In May 2006, Niña was 13 years of age, the strain on the front legs and back finally became to much. She developed arthritis and sphondylosis and her body balance faltered more and more often and she would fall over. It became hard to walk and the vet and we decided it had been enough. The hardest decision of my life, since she hadn’t been ill or anything and, with the aid of painkillers, she hadn’t been in pain either. But she did not seem to have much joy in life anymore either.

We did not want her to end her life totally dependent and drew the line. The vet put her to sleep and she died in our arms. 

I have two wonderful calico cats, Patches and Violet.  Patches is 6 years old and Violet is almost 2 years old.  Both cats are very well taken care of, current on all their shots, and in good health.  They have both lived indoors the entire time I have had them. Unfortunately, I have developed allergies that are making it impossible to keep them.  If you have room for one or two sweet cats, I hope you would consider Patches and/or Violet.  Please email me at acfogle@gmail.com if you are interested!  I have tried several times to upload pictures, but I can't get them to upload to the post.  If you are interested, I will be happy to email photos to you!

Thanks so much!  Angela