Allie the puppy with cerebellar hypoplasia
A
Humane Society in Ontario, Canada had picked up a small Lab/Retriever
puppy who couldn't walk in a straight line or stand up for
very long. Thinking she had ingested some kind of toxic substance,
they whisked her to a vet clinic.
The vet diagnosed her condition as cerebellar hypoplasia, which affects the brain's ability to control balance and fine motor skills. Allie's mother must have had distemper when she was pregnant, leaving Allie with an underdeveloped cerebellum.
The clinic staff quickly fell in love with this adorable 3-month old girl. They could see that despite her disability, she loved life and enjoyed every minute of it. They wanted to make sure she got a chance to live.
We have a delightful and very special young cat, Wobbles, who has the same condition as Allie. Thus when the clinic asked if we could take a puppy with cerebellar hypoplasia, we gladly said yes.
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The vet clinic told the local news media about Allie and said they wanted to raise the money to fly Allie to Montana. Soon more than $1,500 poured in, plenty to cover her airfare and then some. Within a week Allie arrived in Great Falls on a Northwest Airlines flight.
On the lawn outside the airport, we opened the crate door … and out came a beautiful black puppy, flipping and flopping her way towards us. We could tell it took her a lot of effort to get around, but she was such a happy girl.
Back at the ranch, Allie zigged and zagged her way into our hearts. She is a sweet and loving little thing with an angelic face. Allie can get anywhere she wants to go, it just takes her a little longer to get there. And while she does fall down sometimes, she picks herself up and keeps on going.
Allie's best friend is Birdie, our young black Lab with muscular dystrophy. These two girls spend hours outside playing together. Their playtime helps Birdie strengthen her muscles and helps Allie improve her coordination.
So if you visit the ranch and see a dog who looks like she failed a sobriety test, well… that's our Allie!
