Gabriel, a Pitbull with a severe congenital deformity, used to live a sad life. To make everything worse, he once belonged to a breeder who is only after the profits. Luckily, things got better, giving this dog’s story a happy ending.
Sold at four weeks old, Gabriel landed in the hands of an irresponsible owner. He never gave him the support he needed. Realizing Gabriel that is not the kind of dog he wanted, he willingly gave him away to the Pibble’s Plantation under Kat and Heather’s care.
Upon seeing Gabriel’s condition, Kat and Heather knew that a long journey awaits them. The poor dog suffers from swimmer syndrome, which causes him to have walking difficulties. But there’s hope in Gabriel’s situation. It’s repairable, especially at a young age, through intensive physical therapy.
Luckily, both women were familiar with this condition and knew what Gabriel needed. In fact, they are also fostering two Pitbulls with the same condition.
None of the dogs were able to stand alone and requires constant assistance to survive. Kat and Heather worked hard to care for Gabriel and the other two pups.
Most of the time, these dogs only lay on their belly. It’s difficult for them to eat and move around. Thus, Kat and Heather’s first target is to strengthen the dogs’ front legs so they can sit up.
Both women created an exercise routine for the pups that forced them to use their front legs. And in less than three months, they were able to stand on their own. Now, they’re on their way to finding a forever home.
But Gabriel had a major setback. He starts limping on his front legs. Kat and Heather immediately brought Gabriel to a vet and performed an X-ray.
Poor Gabriel was diagnosed with an elbow defect. It’s causing him so much pain and would only worsen. So Kat and Heather had to make the tough decision of amputating his front leg.
Gabriel has been through a lot. But this didn’t stop him from living his best life. In fact, in just a few days after his surgery, he’s already zooming around the house. Clearly, he is now ready to find a forever home.
Luckily, Anne and Terri saw a photo of this happy three-legged pup and immediately fell in love with him. Soon enough, they finally adopted Gabriel and welcomed him with arms wide open.
Source @living_the_life_of_gabriel via Instagram
