Dogs with disability call for extra love

They are hit by vehicles or born with challenges, say pet lovers who take them under their care

Many pet lovers are doing their bit to support disabled dogs, but it calls for a lot of their time and is not easy.

Sai Geetha Pratap, founder of Community Streeties India, is taking care of three disabled dogs. All three are paralysed and require a lot of care. “Star is our four-month-old pup, Suzy is three years old and Benji is five. They were all disabled because of vehicle accidents,” she told Metrolife.

Scooby, a resident at Charlie’s Animal Rescue
Centre, was paralysed after a car accident.

Benji has wheels which took him a month to get used to. “We need to constantly monitor him and remove the wheels occasionally so that he can sleep or lie down,” she says.

The youngest has no hope of recovery. “It’s too early to give him prosthetics and we’re not sure how helpful that’s going to be. It’s a call we’ll have to take once he’s older,” she explains.

Suzy, on the other hand, has one of her legs paralysed and the other fractured. “She puts her whole body weight on one side which causes infection. She’s too weak to be given wheels or any supportive equipment,” Geetha says.

Caring for disabled pets is time-consuming as they need to be constantly watched over.

For Girish Anjenappa, at Animals Right Fund Rescue Centre, the concerns extend to how the animals react when they are being treated.

“My helpers have all been bitten or hurt by the animals. They tend to get aggressive when they are in pain,” he says.

Girish has taken home a pup with just two hind legs. “She’s one of the rare cases of animals being born with such a deformity. She moves around on her chest,” he explains.

When the right medical help is given, there’s a slight chance of recovery, says Girish. “From hydrotherapy to laser therapy, there are several ways you can help such animals,” he says.

Feeding time is the most difficult. “Since they cannot bend to eat like other animals, we have built a higher table. Some get aggressive at mealtime. Some others need to be syringe fed,” he says.

‘Flawsome dogs’

Most dogs at Charlie’s Animal Rescue Centre (CARE) are disabled, says owner Sudha Narayanan. “These are mostly rescued and come in a really bad state. But after being patient with them, to see them move about and interact with other animals is heartwarming. We call them ‘flawsome dogs’, also the theme for our calendar this year,” she says. Some pet lovers have adopted three-legged dogs but she has not found too many takers for paralysed ones. “We don’t blame them. It is difficult to take care of them because they aren’t like other dogs. They can’t go on walks or play with you. They need to be constantly monitored and may dirty the place,” she says.