Amputee Dog Adopted by Amputee Detective Who Also Has Prosthetic Leg

• A Shih Tzu fitted by San Diego Humane Society with a prosthetic leg has found her forever home.
• It’s a match made in Heaven as Chloe was adopted by a family who understands the challenges of having a leg amputated.
• Chappie said he and his family fell in love with her almost instantly.

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San Diego Humane Society‘s Humane Law Enforcement officers rescued two dogs in March, a 9-year-old Shih Tzu named Chloe and a 13-year-old Chihuahua named Roxie.

According to the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS), officers found the dogs with their back paws bandaged and learned the dogs’ previous owner wrapped their paws to prevent them from scratching. The bandages were so tight they cut off blood flow to the dogs’ paws.

Unfortunately, due to the serious damage caused by the bandages, the nonprofit had to amputate some of the dogs’ feet to prevent further injury.

Chloe had both back paws partially amputated.

After the amputation, SDHS staff trained Chloe to walk again, using a wheelchair and prosthetic devices. Chloe was fitted with orthopedic slippers for both back legs.

Enter San Diego Police detective Chappie Hunter who lost his leg in a crash in 2013. He returned to work at the department with a prosthetic leg.

Chappie said an SDHS officer he knew thought he and Chloe would be a great match and asked if he would consider fostering her. Chappie and his family took Chloe in and eventually decided to make it official.

He said he and his family fell in love with her almost instantly.

“The bond between Chloe and I, which is really awesome, I was the first one that she actually kissed,” laughed Chappie. “With me, I really enjoy the fact that you know, obviously she’s been through some trauma like I was, she has her prosthetics, I have mine. It’s kind of neat to be able to work with her on that fact. And also know that in actuality, I might actually kind of know what she’s feeling and be able to be a little more sensitive to that fact … She’s actually the one taking care of me.”

Chappie said that while just adopting a dog is special enough, the circumstances surrounding their bond make it that much more meaningful.

“You wouldn’t be able to tell if she didn’t have the legs on. She goes 100 miles an hour. She can run, she can jump. She can jump onto the couch from the floor and jump down with the legs on. She’s doing great,” he added.

Meanwhile, Roxie was also fitted with a custom prosthetic device and now recovering in a foster home.

“Fitting a dog with prosthetics is quite an involved process and this was a first for San Diego Humane Society,” said veterinarian Susan Garity. “It takes time for the dogs to learn to use them, but our staff is so dedicated and I am so grateful we had our whole organization’s support in giving these sweet dogs a second chance at some normalcy.”

The SDHS said that “anyone who needs help caring for their pets can contact San Diego Humane Society. The nonprofit organization is an open-admission shelter, meaning it will never turn away an animal in need. For more information, visit sdhumane.org.”

Source: People