Rescuing and sheltering animals can be heartbreaking yet gratifying in the same minute. The story of Little Man, a Redbone Coonhound discovered in Cheatham County, Tennessee, is just such a case.
Little Man on his walk with #TailsOfTheTrail. Photo courtesy Sarah White Bradford.
In July, director T.J. Jordi with Cheatham County Animal Control (CCAC) responded to a call about a dog that had been dragging his back legs after an accident wounded the animal. The owner stated that the dog had been hit by a car two months prior but had neglected to seek treatment.
The initial examination of the two year old coonhound showed dehydration, anemia, severe emaciation, and possible permanent paralysis of the hind legs. His paws had been worn down to the bone and marrow.
With the aid of veterinarians and volunteers, T.J. and his team spent months nursing Little Man back to health and eventually fitted him with a wheelchair donated by HandicappedPets.com. Dedicated volunteer Alexa Bessler raised money along the way to get medical supplies for his treatment, and CCAC staff including Natasha Farmer, Greg Jinnett, and Shawn Bloomfield did an amazing job of taking care of Little Man and his injuries.
While the animal cruelty charge against Little Man’s owner was going to court, Tails of the Trail volunteer Sarah White Bradford had the pleasure of walking Little Man during one of our September outings. “Even dogs with special needs should get love and exercise,” Sarah says. “While he may need a little more help with things such as stairs, he is as loving and playful as a dog can be.”
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Little Man’s owner was convicted of animal cruelty on October 7, 2015 and will serve a suspended sentence of 11 months, 29 days. T.J. and his team plan to change Little Man’s name to “Deuce” after Scooter the famous Border Collie rescue from Cheatham County that sports a wheelchair and regularly visits schools and civic events.
Contact Lori at Noah’s Ark Society if you’re interested in adopting Deuce.
Update October 14, 2015: Little Man’s story gets picked up by USA Today! http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/10/14/canine-wheelchair-gives-injured-dog-new-leash-life/73943648/