In March, the San Diego Humane Society’s Humane Law Enforcement discovered a sad case when the owner of two small dogs in Mira Mesa, California, made a rather poor decision.
Chloe, a 9-year-old shih tzu, and Roxy, a 13-year-old Chihuahua, had been licking and scratching their back paws, so the owner bandaged their back paws — but the binding was so tight it cut off their circulation, necessitating amputation for both dogs.
Chloe had to have both back paws partly amputated, and Roxy had to have part of her back left foot removed. After medical care, the dogs went to separate foster homes.
The Hunters fostered Chloe — and they immediately had a special place in their hearts for the little shih tzu because someone in their family could relate to her condition.
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San Diego Police Detective Chappie Hunter lost his own leg in 2013 after being involved in a crash. After getting his own prosthetic and getting used to it, he returned to work.
Chloe has also been fitted with prosthetics and has learned to walk again.
“Fitting a dog with prosthetics is quite an involved process and this was a first for San Diego Humane Society,” veterinarian Susan Garity said, according to WXYZ-TV.
“It included sedation to create a mold of the feet, getting the prosthetics to fit perfectly, and monitoring for pressure sores. It takes time for the dogs to learn to use them, but our staff is so dedicated and I am so grateful we had our whole organization’s support in giving these sweet dogs a second chance at some normalcy.”
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After a few weeks of fostering, the Hunters made it official. Chloe made it very clear that she’d chosen them, and the family has welcomed her in permanently.
“We have a new family member,” Arlene Hunter posted on June 18. “A double amputee Shih Tzu adopted us. If you want to read Chloe’s story, take a look at the link below. We can’t wait for you to meet her!”
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“We really didn’t adopt her … She adopted us!” Chappie wrote in his own post.
The pup’s fighting spirit is no doubt part of what drew the Hunters to her.
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“She is amazing,” Arlene wrote in a comment on her post. “She only had her prosthetics a few days and the 2nd day at our house, she jumped on the couch from the ground!
“Reminded me of Chappie after his amputation. He was working out in the garage soon after coming home from the hospital! Similar fighting spirit! They are super cute together too!”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
