Be a Part of Charlie's New Beginning!

Charlie has a new foot! And, while it might seem obvious that a dog who is missing a foot should get a new one, we wanted to carefully evaluate him before spending the $1600 that a prosthetic foot and vet fees would cost. Of course, this is an expenditure which normal adoption donations just don't cover, so we are hoping that YOU might be able to be a part of Charlie's new foot - and new beginning!If you would like to be part of this, you probably also want to know a little about Charlie. He is about 2 years old and so, so, so very sweet - he has never met a human or dog he didn't like. He came to us from a shelter, where he was picked up as a stray. The shelter knew who his owners were, as they had come to get Charlie four months prior, when he had escaped their yard. However, this time, there was something new: Charlie was missing his rear paw. The shelter inquired about the injury and were told that Charlie got it caught in a wire or rope and, although he was freed, there was injury to the paw. The owner didn't seek medical care and Charlie got rid of the thing that was causing him so much pain - he chewed off his own paw. The owner declined to claim Charlie this time, and Rescue was notified.This is an inconceivable scenario to those of us who treat our dogs as part of our families; how could anyone ignore a dog long enough for him to do this? Lucky for Charlie, the limb seemed to heal without further complications. Just as luckily, his uncaring owner decided to leave him at the shelter and he became part of California GSP Rescue where he was placed in an attentive and loving foster home. Since his injury was relatively new, we wanted to see how he adapted. If he learned to get around normally, as many dogs who are missing limbs do, then we wouldn't need to spend the money or commit an adopter to the time and expense of caring for and maintaining the device. Over time, however, we could see that Charlie compensated for the missing foot by swinging his back and hips with each stride, which gave us concern for his long-term back health. He also occasionally would injure his stub, which was a cause for concern. In consultation with the Rescue's vet, it was determined Charlie would benefit from an artificial foot - and the journey of placing our first-ever prosthetic device on a dog began!Check out this video where Charlie tries on the device for the very first time - and keep watching our Facebook page to see Charlie's progress!While we have met our goal for Charlie's prosthetic thanks to our valued supporters, we still have ongoing medical expenses. Please consider helping other GSP's that come through our door needing our help, by joining us at this years Strut Your Mutt event on October 10th in Los Angeles and be part of something great! Join and Learn more here.