Second Chances Through Adversity

There are times when pets come to CHS through no fault of their own or their owners. That is what happened to Ginger. She and her canine brother had been very loved and well taken care of until, sadly, their owner lost her home. Unable to care for the dogs, and with no one in her family able to take them, they came to CHS in the hopes of finding their second forever home.

Most of the animals that come to CHS need just standard medical care, such as flea medication, spaying or neutering, vaccinating, and disease testing. However, there are times in which the pets need more extensive care. Six year old Ginger was one of those cases. She had what appeared to be a large tumor consuming her back right leg. After a little while, it became clear that Ginger was having a harder and harder time walking due to this mass. As a dog that loves her walks with our volunteers, it was hard to watch her deteriorate. The mass was greatly limiting the movement of her leg and we had to do something about it. CHS sent Ginger off to a veterinary specialist who diagnosed her with a large infiltrative lipoma. Lipomas are usually benign fatty tumors that do not cause problems for the animal, however, Ginger’s type of lipoma was more aggressive and invaded other muscles and tissues.

The veterinarian completed an exploratory surgery, hoping to find a way to save Ginger’s leg. Unfortunately, the lipoma was too invasive. The mass was wrapped around her limb and had invaded the muscles and nerves. There was no way for the veterinarian to save her leg and it needed to be removed. Even though it was not an ideal situation, we gave the green light to have her leg amputated in the hopes that it would give her a longer and better quality of life.

Ginger came through her surgery with flying colors, thanks to the care of her wonderful veterinary team. Worried that this huge change would affect her attitude and ability to walk, the veterinary team, CHS staff, and CHS volunteers kept a close eye on her recovery.

But we didn’t need to worry. This gal has a lot of fight left in her and didn’t let the loss of her leg affect her spirit. When she arrived back at CHS, she loved all the extra attention she received from staff and volunteers. She was soon up walking and getting stronger every day!

Our dog walkers and staff played a big part in her recovery, patiently working with her to make sure she got up for her walks and letting her take her time getting around. We, and she, appreciate all the time donated to her recovery!

The next hurdle for Ginger was finding a new home. While she is one of the sweetest dogs you will meet, some potential adopters were concerned about her mobility now that she only has three legs. We knew it would take a special human to give her the love, attention, and patience she deserves.

And that day came! We are happy to announce that she found her second forever home on November 28th!

Her new family absolutely adores her, and she them. Her new mom reports her leg amputation site has healed up nicely and even took her for a 1 mile walk the other day! Ginger is so pampered that she will be getting some “toe-grips” to help her maintain her balance on her homes hardwood floors. Apparently this 60 pound pooch thinks she is lap dog and will do just about anything to get cuddled!

We wish her and her new family all the best!