Cody the three-legged dog
Forget reality TV, Cody is a real survivor.
Cody was scheduled for euthanasia in a Florida shelter when a lady in Pennsylvania heard about him. His back legs were twisted, he hopped when he walked, and no one would take him. This angel of a woman got him pulled from the shelter and into private boarding while she searched for someone to adopt him. No one would.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Images open in a pop-up window
Finally she had him transported to Pennsylvania, where she again put him in boarding. She wrote us to say, "It was a comment that one of the cleaning people made at the boarding kennel that hurt my feelings...that no one would ever want that dog and he would be in boarding forever. I felt so bad because I knew Cody was special and in spite of his handicap and being on death row, he still was a happy dog and open to give love to anyone."
Cody's angel flew him out to us. Our vets X-rayed Cody and found his legs were twisted because a car had hit him. The collision fractured both rear legs in multiple places and broke his pelvis, too. His right back leg dangled uselessly. His left leg – weak and bent – supported his weight.
Somehow, incredibly, he had survived on his own. The broken bones had ‘healed and sealed.' The vets said the sooner we took off Cody's useless right leg, the easier it would be on the remaining leg.
We also discovered his urinary tract dripped blood. Lab tests showed Cody was deficient in IgA, an antibody that helps the body fight off bacterial infections. The answer: A daily low dose of an antibiotic.
But a month later, he still dripped blood. Finally, we found the cause: Cody had a very rare but treatable cancer. Cody has now completed his chemotherapy.
Cody's angel was right. This dog is happy and has a lot of love to give. Today he bounds across the yard to greet visitors, talking and woofing the whole time. He likes to snooze during the day on a dog cot at our back door, where he is free to keep on eye on everything. At dinner time he does a silly little dance on his remaining rear leg, spinning like a top until he can dive into his bowl.
This handsome boy survived getting hit by a car, a stretch on death row, and cancer, too. Cody thinks he may have an idea for a TV show of his own.
