High Hopes for Puppy Hope with No Front Legs
Welcome back!
Hope — an appropriately named 2-legged Maltese puppy — gets around by using her hind legs to boost her body forward onto her chest, which has small wriggling nubs where her front legs should be. The spry little pooch can bound across a room at a surprisingly break-neck pace.
Hope is supported with the palm of a hand during visit to Dynamic Prosthetic
and Orthotic. Photo Tim Barber
The Chattanooga-based Southern Comfort Maltese Rescue in Tennessee took the puppy in last summer after being contacted by a rescue group in Oklahoma. “We took her in when she was 6 weeks old because the people who had her said her litter mates were pushing her away from Mama and the food bowl and she wasn’t getting enough to eat.” said co-founder Mary Dube.
“She gets around fine.” said the canine’s rehabilitation specialist Cassy Englert of River Veterinary Emergency Clinic. “She never knew anything other than hopping like she did. They can always pad her chest, but it’s her spine that’s taking a beating. The hardest thing is teaching her a new way to get around that’s going to actually be better for her.”
David Turnbill weighs Hope while Cassy Englert goes for measuring tape.
Photo Tim Barber
Orthotist David Turnbill of Dynamic Prosthetic and Orthotic in Chattanooga created a prosthetic device he anticipated would give Hope a more normal way of walking and quality of life.
“Once she quits growing and gets to her full size, she will need another one.” David Turnbill said. “Prosthetic care is an ongoing cycle. Squirming across the floor of the vet clinic a couple months ago, Hope seemed blissfully unaware of the bemused smiles or concerned winces of those around her. But her natural mode of moving eventually would damage her bones.”
Sedated prior to casting, Hope yawns as warm plaster is smoothed over her body. Sedation wasn’t required on following visits. Photo Tim Barber
Turnbill constructed the device free of charge, with makeshift shoulder joints connected to model airplane wheels. He says the spring-loaded prosthetic arms hook to a custom-fitted chest plate to allow Hope to lie down or sit up as she wishes without removing the prosthetic.
“Each of the device’s ‘arms’ can move up or down independently of the other, allowing Hope to pivot and turn.” Turnbill adds. “We’re allowing all of her natural motions to occur.”
Turnbill balances the prosthetic device designed to support Hope’s upper body. Photo Tim Barber
Turnbill checks the fit of his creation on an exam table. Photo Tim Barber
David Turnbill and Cassy Englert worked with Hope over a couple of sessions through winter to see if she could learn to rely on the wheeled device to support her upper torso. Veterinarian Jennifer Kolb at the Red Bank Animal Hospital said that dogs and cats typically adjust easily to a prosthetic device.
“If you have the right client and the right type of pet, they can do great with it.” said Kolb. “Dogs and cats, they’re very resilient.”
Cassy Englert, right, stretches Hope’s back legs as the puppy takes a treat from
Mary Dube at the River Veterinarian Emergency Clinic. Photo Tim Barber
Hope utilizes her prosthesis for upright mobility at Mary Dube’s home.
Photo Tim Barber
Mary Dube offers Hope a treat for mobility motivation. Photo Tim Barber
“Hope’s condition is a result of a bad breeding” said Mary Dube.
After a painstaking call for applications, the group found a fitting adoptive owner for Hope. The new owner, Debra Huebner, of Phoenix, Arizona picked up Hope at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport in December.
Debra Huebner has 5 Yorkies and now 2 Maltese, and she and her husband have a proven record of going the distance for their pets, including paying veterinarians for whatever medical care their animals needed, Mary Dube said. “They went the full nine yards.” she said.
Debra Huebner holds Hope at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. Photo Tim Barber
Debra Huebner at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport takes Hope home to Phoenix. Photo Tim Barber
The Huebners said they have arranged their work schedule — one working first shift, one working second shift — so Hope never would have to be alone. Debra said Hope is getting along fine with other dogs during her first few weeks in Phoenix.
“She doesn’t know it.” she said. “She has no concept that she’s not a normal dog.”
Though Hope has already outgrown the prosthetic device that was custom-sized to her puppy frame, the Huebners say they hope to get her a new device made by a Phoenix company. “The orthotist-prosthetists here said they took on the challenge of helping Hope because they said it was an opportunity to learn something new.” said Debra.
David Turnbill designing the prosthesis for Hope. Photo Tim Barber
Hope playing in her new prosthesis. Photo Tim Barber
“It’s nice to do something different. Anytime we adapt something to a body, whether animal or human, we tend to learn something from it.” said Locke Davis, owner of Dynamic Prosthetic and Orthotic.
Hope’s rehabilitation specialist in Chattanooga said that when it comes to rehabilitation, working with animals can be better than working with humans.
“They’re more resourceful than we are in figuring things out.” Cassy Englert said. “They want to get back up on the feet, they want to run, play. People, they get discouraged more.”
High Spirits for Hope
Source: Times Free Press
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What an amazing story…and the little pup is sooooo cute. Lucky the breaders didn’t destroy her because she was malformed!! She is really something. I once had a neighbor with a 3 legged dog and my siamese cat went over every day and they rough houses…and I thouht that was something but this takes the cake!
Very cute puppy! That puppy is so lucky that he was cared so well.. I think makes his life better now!
WOW! that pup is so cute. Its a good thing that they give him a pair of rollers.
That’s a great story, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I just wonder if the little guy will end up chewing his own legs/tires?
That puppy is awesome! What a great story! I would of taken it home in a heartbeat!
It would have been a tragic waste had they destroyed this puppy, Dianne. I also have a friend whose dog lost its hind leg in a traffic accident, and she gets around as quickly and easily as any other
Yes Land, Hope should have a very high quality of living now
Indeed, she melts my heart, SUV
Haha, I hadn’t thought of her chewing her device Webrunner. Let’s hope not
You and me both, BAMS
omg that is the saddest thing I have ever seen I wanna just pick her up and hug her she is sooo cute she is so lucky she has those wheels aweee
She sure melts a person’s heart, doesn’t she Maddie
OMG…those guys did a great thing that dog was SO CUTE!!!
Aside from how this puppy is so adorable, it truly melts my heart to hear of others caring so much, Caitlin
[...] High Hopes for Puppy Hope with No Front Legs [...]
cute puppy.what happened
You question is rather vague, Jessica. All information available on Hope that I’m aware of is included in this article.
Hi Deborah,
What a touching story about Hope. My friend has asked me to send this request if she could use a few photos from your article and spread this loving and inspiring story about Hope and the care she received from Orthotist David Turnbill. My friend Faith also is an artist herself and she has sketched a portrait of Hope. Here is her blog
http://blog.udn.com/faith/2633952
Please let her know if the photos could be used for sharing purpose only.
Hu-ying
It’s really touch my heart.
I wish the Hope can use the prostheses let its life luminescence and enjoy its life like other dogs.
POOR HOPE I FEEL BAD
i will pray to god the cute innocent puppy will get the help he requires the most adorablest thing on gods green earth deserves good treatment and luckily her owner looks like a caring and loving dog lover but it breaks my heart to see the wheels on her but i know its helping her
Does anyone know how I can get in touch with this guy? I just received a special two legged puppy. He is only 6 weeks old. I don’t know where to turn to get help for him. Please help!!!!
Kim
kimzinha@sbcglobal.net
Salut,
Je suis passé ici par hasard.
Je trouve que c’est une belle histoire et que c’est trés bien que des gens comme cela existe.
Bon courage pour la suite.
awww it’s soo cute . i started cry . but its okay now i think i have to say it agen sooo cute puppy !!
i saw all about this on animal planet the other day and now its here
I had a dog without front legs, a Yorkshire terrier. They said he would not live beyond 8 years, because his spine would give up. He just recently passed away at the age of 19! Up until the last year, he hopped and jumped like nothing was wrong with him. He had no wheels or other devices and when we went walking, he came along in a buggy without the seat and he’d jump in and out when he wanted to sniff around or do his things.
I got him when he was 5 years old and he had never really walked, everybody always carried him around. Half a year later, if he wanted to get away, you really had to push yourself to catch him. For about 3 months, I gave him a sort of breast plate made out of jeans to protect the skin of his breast. After that time, he had developed enough hard skin so that he didn’t need it anymore.
Like Hope, he had no idea of his handicap or his size and he was known to chase away the bigger dogs whenever they came near his food.
The first few years he was with us, we also had two alsations. They used to run together in the woods, pulling a big branch between them. My little dog used to jump up, bite the branch and then he was carried along high up in the air by the two big dogs. And he wouldn’t let go!
I am very happy for Hope that she found a good home and got her wheels, but when I read that the new owners changed their schedule so that she is never alone, to me that sounds a little exaggerated.
I saw the TV show featuring Hope and was amazed that the orthotist did not take into consideration lateral movement or shock absorption. The two wheels on the orthosis do not even resemble normal movement. I appreciate there effort but was disappointed in the results. I have invented several orthotics for humans and feel there is a better design.