Today I want to bring to light one of the darker aspects of animal ownership- animal abuse. Some of us dogs and cats are spoiled rotten and it’s easy to assume that all cats and dogs live that way.
Today’s guest was the victim of abuse that resulted in his becoming disabled. But Indigo was fortunate to find rescue, rehabilitation and permanency through a rescue organization called Ring Dog Rescue (link below). I am not trying to make anyone sad, but we all know that this is the reality faced by some animals.
Dogs and cats, please help me welcome Indigo!
Rumpy: Thanks for being my guest today Indigo!
Indigo: Ok here we go.
Rumpy: Let’s start out by talking about your special needs. Tell us what happened.
Indigo: I was living in North Carolina as a chained dog. One afternoon I barked and my owner came out and beat me with a shovel and kicked me until my spine was broken. A neighbor heard me screaming and she called 911. Animal control and the Police came, I was taken away by animal control and the man was taken to jail. It was found that my spine had been broken in two places. It left my legs paralyzed and my body unable to control my urine or bowels. I needed diapers. My owner did get a jail sentence for felony animal cruelty. I was sent to Ring Dog Rescue in Richmond, Va and went to live with foster parents. My foster parents adopted me a little over a year ago, and I will never leave them again. So while it was a bad story to begin with, it has a happy ending, I have a family that loves me unconditionally, even if I do pee on their feet sometimes.
Rumpy: That is such a sad story! It makes me very mad to hear someone taking their frustrations out on another, but especially on an animal that has no hope of defending itself! I am glad you are now with a loving family. Tell us what types of rehab have you had?
Indigo: Ring Dog Rescue got me a wheelchair from Eddies Wheels for pets, and a supply of diapers. My mom took me to a specialty Vet, Dr. Kim Danoff DVM, and she gave my mom exercises, and suggestions for care. I do hydrotherapy, either in pools or in local lakes and rivers. I do strengthening exercises, and range of motion exercises. I get massage and I used to get acupuncture. My mom has worked with me to learn how to do things like climb stairs , jump up and down, and walk. The wheelchair and exercises have helped me be able to stand, walk short distances, go up and down stairs, and bounce around some. I do need my chair, because after about 10 to 15 minutes of walking and bouncing, my legs give out, and go all floppy. I am way better off than the doctors ever thought I would be.
Rumpy: Oh Dog! That sounds like alot of hard work for both you and your humans! But you certainly have come a long way. You have a family that is very special. Tell us about them.
Indigo: I have a very unique set of hoomans. They beleive that the dogs that most people dont like or are scared of or that have the worst reputations, (Bully Breeds, Power breeds, Pit Bull Types) are the BEST and the most wonderful. That has led to them adopting 7 of us dogs in total, 6 of them pit bull terriers and one rottweiler. All of us came from abuse, neglect, or some kind of terrible situation. Some of us like me have special needs. We also have 8 adopted cats. Some of them also have special needs.
My familys other belief is that ALL animals, no matter their illness or disability or health issue deserves a home. They not only advocate for bully breeds , they advocate for animals with medical issues, and disabilities. I of course have a spinal chord injury, and incontinence, I also have severe allergic and a chronic skin condition.
My sister Ruthie is also incontinent because of a spinal chord injury. She can walk, but her tail is paralyzed. The x rays suggest that she was hit by a car, no one really knows why she is the way she is, she was rescued that way. My Sister Sahara has severe allergies and asthma, she needs daily medication to keep her lungs clear. My brother Logan has a congenital orthopedic issue called Luxating Patellas. His knee caps slide in and out of their sockets and ligaments. Eventually he will need total knee replacements. My Sister Layla and My brother T-Rex are “elderly.” Layla is 12 and T-Rex is 8. They have all the issues that older dogs have, such as weight control issues, arthritis, hearing and vision losses. They take medication for their conditions and are on strict diets to maintain healthy weights.
My cat sister Lily is blind because of a stroke, and my cat brother Alastor was born missing one of his eyes and without any of his hearing. So we are a motely crue of misfits that love one another unconditionally. It works. It also takes a special set of people to wrangle all our meds , appointments and needs. My folks do it well.
Rumpy: That sure sounds like a wonderful family, and your humans sound like some very special people Indigo. I’m grateful there are people like that in the world. So tell us what are your favorite treats?
Indigo: Our favorite treats are my moms home made doggy cookies, frozen yogurt with fruit, raw sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, rawhides, and anything with peanut butter. When we are sick , mommy makes doggy stew and she gives us frozen gatoraide and broth cubes in hot weather.
Rumpy: Oh Dog! I wish I got home-made cookies! I’ve posted a link to the web site your mama recommended below so we can all try our hands at making cookies. So, one more question: if you was a dinosaur, what kind would you be?
Indigo: If I was a dinosaur, I would be my rottweiler brother T-Rex, hes AWESOME, hes named after a dino, AND hes a very special Autism, Seizure Alert and Search and Tracking dog for my 15 yr old special needs hooman. He has a cool name and an even cooler JOB!
Rumpy: Wow! That IS awesome! We might have to have T-Rex as a guest sometime. So is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Indigo: Ring Dog Rescue can be found at RingDogRescue.org, Eddies wheels for pets can be found at EddiesWheels.com, Dr Kim Danoff can be found at paws2heal.com, my facebook page is found under Indigo Wheeled Terrier Jones.
Rumpy: And here is the link to the recipes Indigo’s humans use: http://www.bullwrinkle.com/Assets/Recipes/Recipes.htm
Indigo, thanks so much for sharing your story with us. You and your family are an inspiration to us all!
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