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Sonny was born January 1,
2005 into a home that did not want him. At 10 weeks he and his
littermates were taken into rescue and given love, basic training and full
vet care. Then they were placed for adoption. Sonny went to a
loving home with a small child. Unfortunately, the child turned out to
be highly allergic to animals. After 4 months of trying to manage the
child's allergies, Sonny was returned to the rescue. Sonny was very
despondent and missed his family so much, especially the child. Sonny
was again placed for adoption. He went on a 'visit' to a perspective
adopter. It was a disaster. He was neglected, starved and
mistreated. The rescue intervened and Sonny came back to safety.
Not wanting to put Sonny through another heartache, it was decided he would
remain at the rescue.
Sonny is such a gentle giant, it was determined that he would make the perfect therapy dog. Sonny is exceptionally tall, standing 35" at the shoulder. This makes him perfect for petting from a wheelchair. After some obedience training, he began cheering up the elderly and infirm at the local nursing homes. On one of his visits, I met him and instantly fell in love with him. Since the rescue had not originally intended to keep him, we discussed his coming to live at Rocky Ridge Refuge. (we call it "joint custody"). A few weeks later I was expecting to see Sonny again at a nursing home, but the rescue had brought another dog. Sonny had become somewhat stubborn. I visited Sonny and saw that something just did not look right in the way he walked and carried himself. With the cooperation of the rescue, Sonny was taken for x-rays. He has severe hip dysplasia! He was not being stubborn at all. He just didn't know how to tell anyone he was in severe pain. Less then 1/4 of the ball on each of his leg bones is hanging onto the hip sockets. The simple act of playing or running could dislodge the leg from the hip and then repair could be impossible, thus bringing an end to Sonny's life. Update 1/06/07: In just the first few months Sonny made such tremendous physical progress that his surgery was put on hold. With the dedicated use of herbal supplements such as DGP and nutraceuticals, Sonny's pain has been reduced entirely, enabling him to play and exercise, thus add muscle to support his joints. Eventually if surgery is necessary, he will have a much better chance of a long healthy life. Update 1/01/08: Sonny has developed so well that hip replacement my never be necessary. He can run, jump, and stand up on his hind legs for attention with no discomfort. He is a happy, healthy boy who just had his 3rd birthday today. |
