*that is one of my own deaf/visually impaired Danes head in the pic – Salt* 😀This is BHRR’s Potter, the miracle deaf boxer we were asked to assist just over 7 years ago due to our expertise with special needs dogs. Shortly after coming to us, we had to do a leg amputation due to cancer(back left) and this young man at only the age of barely 1 was given an 85% chance of the cancer coming back within 8 months post amputation….
Well, Potterman has something to say about that and he is now 8 years young!! Yup! 8 years!!
He has remained in our Haven program as after he arrived, we learned of a bite history – not his fault – he was neglected and abused and left to run loose at will on the I-81 in New York. He was called *dummy* and *stupid* and no one realised or cared that he was simply deaf and confused plus scared.
Well, this handsome Boxer’s life is now one of sneaking on couches, full of Potter ‘tude to the other dogs during events here, and where once vehicles truly terrified him, he would do anything to get out on one of his walk-abouts for a car ride! He has gone to many a soccer game and played soccer at the end of the games with all the kids and happily popped his share of soccer balls! :p
This boy brought me to tears when he first arrived….I watched three people work to get him into my truck when I went to pick him up and it broke my heart and for the first month, he had this look on his face that I knew that if I did not do things right, any trust he may give would never happen. I knew he was brilliant – he completely dismantled a crate within half an hour of arriving home with me, even folding the crate nicely!
In typical bully breed style he was strong minded and opinionated yet I knew that he was full of such love and heart and a real comedian also.
In that first month, I knew he had come to learn many hands signals as I own deafies myself and we have our share in rescue at any given time – it is one of our areas of expertise – yet, I never pushed or forced and was patient.
Almost one month to the day he arrived, I felt eyes staring at me and I look over and Potterman was sitting by the treat bin and looking at me. I felt the tears well up for in that moment I knew that I had been given a gift….he had given me trust that he felt I would not hurt him or force him and it was beautiful!!
Fast forward to his Vet visit last night and he continues to weigh a solid lean muscled consistent 64.9 pounds!
We are also not going to put the cart before the horse and are going to wait to see what comes back on the needle biopsies we did last night. We may have to do tissue biopsies for not much could be obtained on the fine needles and we are going to take it one step at a time. Cancer cannot be ruled out yet baby steps….
His spondylosis is getting slowly worse over the years yet, even as an 8 year old tripod, he can still run circles around most of the other dogs here!! 😀
He is happy and so loved!
