SPECIAL NEEDS SPECIAL DEEDS

By Raven Simons, November 2008

Like “human animals”, our pets can have physical and emotional handicaps. These disabilities can be brought about by birth trauma, genetic defects, accidents, early environmental conditions, neglect, or abuse and injury done by the hand of a few sick and twisted humans.

Some problems cause a potential lifetime of suffering and these animals need to be helped over the Rainbow Bridge in a kind and gentle fashion. Only trained veterinarians should use the procedures needed to help end the life of a suffering pet. 

Many people feel that an animal with any disability, what so ever, should be killed. They mistakenly feel that all disabled pets suffer and will only take up living space that could be homing some other needy creature. 

Many of these same individuals have an opinion that animals only belong in the wild and that human beings should end all relationship with all animals. What they do not seem to understand is that humans are destroying and encroaching on the habitats of our last remaining “wild” animal brothers and sisters. They also do not recognize the special deeds of companion animals, especially those courageous souls that are considered “special needs” pets.

Consider Dorzie, a handicapped Savannah Cat. Dorzie was in his kitty mom’s birth canal too long and suffers with neurological disabilities. Dorzie’s problems were discovered when he was 6 months old. By this time Dorzie was an award winning show cat, an ambassador of the Savannah breed, a favorite with many of the TICA judges where he was shown, visited hospitals to help handicapped children pull out of severe depressions, and was a reading cat who helped children read out loud to him and his companion Savannah, Motzie. This is how Dorzie gave back to his human friends and society at large.

Then there’s Booboo Bugaloo, a Bearded Dragon with only 3 legs. Booboo had his name before his injury. The veterinary bill to amputate Boob’s injured hind leg was far more than his purchase price. Should he have been killed because it would have been cheaper to buy a replacement? No! When Booboo was at the hospital he charmed everyone. He weighed in at a whopping 9 grams. All the vet techs and other clients laughed at Booboo’s name. When he was retrieved everyone said how well behaved he was. I had to wonder just how much trouble old Boob could have caused in his 9-gram body. Tales are still told about Booboo and he teaches through the stories told about him, demonstrating the responsible care of a pet and responsible pet owner.

Tucker and Velvet are both emotionally handicapped. Tucker is a 12-year-old Shiba Inu dog that was severely neglected then ultimately abused by his owners. He was isolated, lacked proper socialization and enrichment, then abused when his original owners became angry when they decided to remodel their house and Tucker’s shedding inconvenienced them. They contacted a rescue, and then couldn’t wait until a foster home was found. So they shaved him bald, coated him in motor oil, and dumped him at a kill shelter. The rescue was able to retrieve him and he was passed around for a while. Nobody discovered that Tucker hated other animals. When he was adopted and relocated to his permanent home he attacked the other pets. Was he passed on, again? No, the new owners had dog-training experience and put Tucker in an area where he could be with them, but not hurt the other pets. He has been with them for 8 years.

Velvet is another survivor. She was rescued from an apartment fire where she shared a 2- bedroom unit with 37 other cats. They weren’t hoarded in the sense that they were clean, well kept, and had appropriate veterinary care. When the downstairs apartment caught fire, all the surviving cats would be permanently scarred from their experience. I don’t know if any of the cats died. Velvet was the first of the “fire cats” put up for adoption at PetSmart’s super adoption event. Her new owners weren’t aware that the event was that particular weekend. Usually they avoided “super adoption” at PetSmart because they would feel so sad for the animals needing new homes. Fate stepped in on this day when Velvet’s new owners came to shop. They were informed by the agency fostering her that she had emotional “issues”. She didn’t particularly get along with other cats and was a biter. She has now shared her forever home with other pets for the last 4 years. Tucker and Velvet both set positive examples for society of thriving re-homed pets that give love and joy to their forever parents.

There are many true adventures shared by the heroes we consider special needs pets. I will share one more story before I conclude this article. Stella is a therapy special needs Savannah. When Stella was developing the umbilicus was wrapped around the bottom portion of her back legs, thus hindering proper development. When she was born, this became obvious. Before Stella was named, her breeders tried to find her a home. At this time, people felt daunted by her handicap. Stella was scheduled to cross the Rainbow Bridge the day after her forever owners decided to take her. Fortunately the breeders were reminded of a friend who lost a Maine Coon in May of that year. The mutual friend who reminded them was aware that the people who lost the Maine Coon were still grieving. In addition, the wife of the couple had been confined at home by illness and was depressed. Would they consider taking the handicapped kitten whom needed special care? After conversations with the mutual friend and the breeder friend, the choice was made to adopt the cat. They chose the name Stella. The breeder cried when she got the good news. Stella went to her new home where she provides much needed love and therapy to her ill friend.

The stories of the 5 companion animals with special needs are all true. They represent a small fragment of the animals that give so much to their owners and society at large. One of the amazing characteristics shared by Dorzie, Booboo, Tucker, Velvet, and Stella is that they do not know that they are handicapped. To see Stella chasing her friends, jumping off the bed, or playing hard is to see a very happy cat that loves life. Watching Booboo Bugaloo dancing with or waving at his brother, Baby, will teach you that you can still dance and enjoy life with only 3 legs.

Look into Tucker’s soulful eyes, see him protect his people and home, and see the boundless love; while acknowledging that he is content with life and loves his people and home. Velvet shows her owners that she can still love and play after surviving horrific trauma. Dorzie steals everyone’s heart that he meets. Everybody wants to take him home. Imagine Dorzie listening to the children read out loud at the library with his cheerful, non-judgmental heart. What a shining example these pets make of the need for humans to relate to animals as brothers, sisters, friends, and teachers.

Pets with disabilities do take extra care. With the appropriate owners and homes perhaps they will be little ambassadors for their wild cousins. Perhaps they can teach people how important all life and beings are to the health and happiness of the planet and everything that lives here. Special needs animals and their forever owners are heroes and, well, special. They have a right to a happy life free from judgment from ignorant human animals that claim to love animals, yet seem to act in a fashion contrary to their claims. Perhaps the special deeds of our disabled ambassadors will touch come element of awareness and compassion in the souls of those people who do not feel that they should be alive. Special needs can and do lead to special deeds.

Raven Simons is a private owner of many domestic and exotic pets and promotes the choice of owning any pet by responsible owners.


Dorzie Photos © 2008 Helmi Flick
Photos © Raven Simons

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