She’s still a little wobbly, but hopping, two-legged dog Roo from Iran, now living with an Abbotsford family, is learning to navigate life with an extra appendage.
Since The News did a story on Roo and her human Julie Horncastle last month, a GoFundMe page has raised nearly $4,400 – well above the $3,000 goal – to help pay for veterinarian bills and for a prosthetic leg.
“It was amazing. We had amazing support,” Horncastle said, expressing gratitude to those who pitched in on the fundraiser and the vet and staff at the Gladys Pet Hospital.
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Roo, a rescue from Tehran, Iran, has two fully developed and strong hind legs but underdeveloped front legs, which meant that she had to hop like a kangaroo – hence the name – to get around.
But since March 25, Roo has been learning about life with a third leg up front.
“The first couple steps were really awkward. I think it was really heavy for her; she didn’t know what it was attached to the bottom of her leg. But then I went outside to the parking lot, and I started walking away from her, and she just took off,” Horncastle said.
“At home it’s really funny, because outside she just takes off. At home, it’s like, thump, thump. It’s really loud, so she’s not as fond of it indoors as she is outdoors. But she’s realizing she can use it to balance and it’s giving her a whole lot more mobility.”
That includes going on walks, which Horncastle said Roo can participate in more than she had in the past – when she would roll along in a type of stroller.
“She could follow us, she could follow the dogs. She could go sniff and look for bunnies and all the things that regular dogs do that she’s never had a chance to do before. It was amazing.”
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Dustin Godfrey | Reporter
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