Eros is a Husky after our own hearts, and we guarantee he will win yours too. Behind his beautiful blue eyes and sloppy kisses, Eros doesn’t realize he’s handicapped. Eros is your typical Husky, with …
Eros is a Husky after our own hearts, and we guarantee he will win yours too. Behind his beautiful blue eyes and sloppy kisses, Eros doesn’t realize he’s handicapped. Eros is your typical Husky, with beautiful blues eyes, soft coat, and a perfectly fitted dog cart. While “set of wheels” is often a rite of passage for your average teenager, for Eros, an amputee Siberian Husky, they mean the difference between a life of limited mobility and one in which a working dog breed, can run around. Walkin’ Wheels helps dogs with weak or missing limbs stay mobile. Eros was often kept from playing with other dogs so that he wouldn’t injure himself while playing.
His dog wheelchair allows him to play without fear of doing more damage to his feet. Eros was rescued by Penny Baker and Arizona Siberian Husky Rescue & Adoption(ASHRA) at 10 months. They placed him with Debbie Stahmer and her husband Keith, who had volunteered to become his Medical Fosters. Eros had just undergone surgical amputation of his hind feet, caused by complications resulting from an infection. His owners could no longer afford to pay for his mounting vet bills, nor were they able to provide him with the constant supervision he would need as he healed, so they made the decision to allow Penny Baker and ASHRA to take over. Eros lost the majority of one rear paw as well as the other rear paw at the ankle, and the vet trips didn’t stop there. Eros needed continuous bandage changes, often in between visit due to his bandages becoming soiled or coming undone Debbie recalls, “my husband would do a midnight run for supplies and we would bandage as best as we could until we could get him in to the vet.” It took most of 2016 for Eros’ feet to heal. He continues to sport bandages, but now he wears them for padding and protection. Without them, the skin on his feet would tear if Eros tried to walk on them.
It can be overwhelming for those who have an injured or handicapped pet, but there is strength in numbers. From the beginning, Debbie reached out to others, “I searched for and contacted several people on Facebook who had dogs with amputations, and I was able to get some good advice and information.” Thanks to their help and support, Eros, a local dog from Mesa, is a two-time worldwide contest winner of the Walkin’ Pets annual calendar contest. Walkin’ Pets by HandicappedPets.com sells yearly calendars to raise funds for the Handicapped Pets Foundation, and holds a contest to pick which dogs will appear in each year’s calendar.
There were 238 contestants in this year’s contest! The calendars not only raise funds for the foundation, but they raise awareness of options for elderly, injured, and handicapped pets. During every stage of recovery, Eros has never lost his loving nature.
“They don’t think, they just do.” said Debbie. “Bloody back legs did not stop Eros from giving kisses at the vet.” It is with that love that Eros will become a therapy dog. When he is ready, he will pay forward the support that others have extended to him.
Eros is now two years old, and although the Walkin’ Wheels have vastly improved his quality of life, the next step on his road to recovery is a set of prosthetics. There is a GoFundMe page set up for Eros. With the support he has received from the community, Debbie and Keith, are already 70 percent of the way to their $12,000 goal to cover Eros’ prosthetics, vet visits, and rehabilitation. Disabled pets now have more options to live active lives. Technology advancements and caring people can save lives of animals who in the past would have been put down. They still need special care, but as Eros demonstrates, they give more in return.
If you would like to help grant the wish of this sweet Husky and donate, you can find Eros’ GoFundMe campaign titled “Eros the Siberian Husky needs Rehab.”
Walkin’ Pets by HandicappedPets.com is an online pet product company serving the needs of disabled, injured, and aging pets and their owners. Signature products include the Walkin’ Wheels adjustable dog wheelchair, Walkin’ Lift Combo Harness, Walkin’ Dog Boots, and more. (888) 253-0777, www.walkinpets.com.
The Handicapped Pets Foundation is a nonprofit organization that donates wheelchairs to pet owners with financial need: www.hpets.org.