Carl is a disabled veteran needing a dog to be his companion during sleepless nights, days spent alone and to comfort him when he does not feel well or has pain. Belle, our handicapped, German shepherd, needed a forever home, an understanding owner willing to keep building her trust and who would not see her handicap as an issue. This is the story of how Carl and Belle became forever companions!
In May of 2015, Carl’s companion dog, Enga, had to be put down unexpectedly. She was a large, sable, German shepherd we had rescued from a kill shelter several years ago. Picked up off the streets as a stray, she was under weight, anxious and lonesome. Enga quickly bonded to Carl based on their mutual need for companionship and trust. Enga spent her days with Carl always in her sight. She sat so proudly in the rider’s seat of Carl’s SUV when he took her for rides! She walked with him to the mailbox. He shared his food with her. She put her head in Carl’s lap when he sat on the side of the bed for hours unable to sleep. Carl’s attachment to Enga was very strong and when she had to be put to sleep, it affected Carl emotionally and physically.
In the weeks after Enga was gone, Carl was very depressed and he began to lose weight. He then decided he wanted another shepherd. It was not a sudden decision and he was firm once he decided to do this. He did not want to “replace Enga” but to honor her memory and to fill this terrible void her death had left in his life. We contacted several rescues and filled out many applications with no success. German shepherd rescues did not see us as a good fit for any German shepherd. Carl is disabled, I work full time, we do not have a fenced in yard and we also have a darn cat that a shepherd would have to learn to accept. Carl, however, would not consider any other kind of dog. A shepherd it would be…
A friend, helping Carl find “his dog”, reached out to her cousin who worked at a shelter several states away. The cousin’s reply to her question: “Do you have any German Shepherds needing a good home at your shelter?” “We have a special needs shepherd who needs to find a a good home.” So began the conversation that led Belle and Carl to each other!
Carl was both excited and nervous. We knew Belle would make the final decision about her new forever family. Belle was owner-surrendered; a small, black, German shepherd born with 2 1⁄2 paws. She had come into the shelter at about 1-year-old, not knowing how to walk upright, having suffered gross neglect, and she was terrified of all the noise and activity normally occurring in a shelter. This black ball of trembling fur, tightly curled up in the corner of the kennel, was literally losing her will to live. She was quickly placed in a foster home. As a black, adult and handicapped dog, the odds were stacked against Belle and her chances of getting forever home.
The Monroe County Friends of Animals was determined to help Belle beat those odds! Internet research found Animal Ortho Care, LLC, a company in Virginia, who offered to make a prosthetic paw for Belle at no cost. The University of Tennessee Veterinary Hospital donated their expertise at fitting the prosthetic paw and oversaw her training as she became adjusted to walking upright for the first time in her life. Belle had two amazing foster families during this time who worked with her daily to help her physically, emotionally and socially to gain strength, confidence and trust. Team Belle was her support system as she matured and consisted of her loving foster families, her transport team, a veterinary chiropractor and the wonderful staff at UT Vet Hospital. Team Belle was in place and hard at work.
Through the Monroe County Friends of Animals, Belle was in the Second Chance Pals program featuring older shelter pets and she also was qualified for Patriots adoption by a veteran. Belle had reached the point where she was ready to bond with her forever family when we learned about her and we quickly filled out an application and hoped she would be ours!
We traveled to Tennessee from our home in central Florida to meet Belle and her support team at a park in late June. We fully understood that we could be coming back home without Belle. She was shy of men so it was very possible she would not take to Carl at all. She was a very sensitive dog who was still gaining self-confidence and her new family would need to invest time with her for this progress to continue. While Belle might need some additional medical care down the road, she was in good health and there was nothing indicating she would not remain healthy and live a long life. Now that Belle could walk on all four feet, her new owners would need to learn how to put on and off the “paw” but the rest of Belle’s care would be the same as any other dog.
At the park, Carl made his way to a bench and sat down, talking to “Team Belle” when Belle was brought over to the pavilion. She made her way over to Carl and looked at him. He glanced at her and then slowly opened his hand on his knee. She looked at him again, moved up closer and licked his hand. Everyone cheered!
The next hour or two just flew by as everyone who had come to see Belle’s “meet and greet” talked to us. We quickly learned about Belle’s needs, likes and dislikes. I learned how to put “her paw” on and off and Carl worked with the paperwork getting everything squared away. Pets for Patriots paid the fees for Belle’s adoption because Carl is an Air Force veteran and Belle received some other benefits from them as well. We headed south later that afternoon with Belle riding on her new dog bed in the back of the SUV and Carl sitting alongside of her. I could hear bits and pieces of Carl’s murmured conversation with Belle as I drove. I was so happy for both of them!
At first, I sent a weekly update to Team Belle telling them of her adventures! It was an exciting time of discovery and trust building! Belle did not break the rules at our house. She merely replaced those rules with her own set! She really did make us see that her rules were better! I think that is a shepherd thing. Over time, the updates were sent less often. I have kept the Team Belle updates and I reread them every so often because those first months with Belle were so special!
One example of a Belle discovery involved my macaw, Seymour. Eighteen-year-old Seymour was walking through the house on the way to her perch after spending the afternoon outside. Belle was curious about this feathered, walking “thing” with a long tail. She sniffed it a few times and then moved up to give that tail a test squeeze. One loud scream and Belle was peering out from the room behind us, wondering at what had just happened as an indignant Seymour glared backwards at us while marching to her perch minus a feather or two! Belle saw no need to get that close ever again.
One interesting thing we learned from Belle was how her prosthesis affected her self-confidence. When we are just hanging out at the house, Belle does not wear “her paw”; it is a lot like staying in your pj’s on the weekends. Belle just carries her stump in the air, walking on her other paws. However, if company comes, we put the “paw” on because then her level of self-confidence is very high!
As Belle’s self-confidence has grown, she has become quite the socialite! One of her favorite activities is seeking out other dogs to play with at our local dog park. She has come a long way from that trembling ball of black fur. It is wonderful to see her use “her special paw” for running. It has rubber tread giving her traction so she can run fast (she runs as fast as a greyhound in her mind)! Belle’s other back paw has no toes and only the center pad so it has no traction to it. Belle loves her prosthesis. She never attempts to chew it or remove it and she is excited to have me put it on.
Belle has a full life here with us. She shares Carl’s room; Belle sleeps in her own bed, she sleeps in Carl’s bed, AND she sleeps in his recliner! She loves to ride with Carl in his SUV and she loves it when they go through McDonald’s because she knows her dad will share some fries with her! When Carl can’t sleep at night, Belle is his bedside buddy, giving him comfort and love as he talks to her. On those days when Carl does not feel well, Belle snuggles in bed with him. Belle’s companionship and love has really made a difference to Carl. Carl now has more good days than bad; his mood and attitude are so much more positive and Carl has energy to do things!
For a man who always ended “activities”by 2PM, seeing Carl and Belle go outside to work on a project at 8 PM is really amazing. I think it is safe to say that Carl and Belle are the perfect companions for each other!
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