A video from FOX 9 in Minneapolis profiles Larry Schuette, who turned his home into a sanctuary for disabled dogs.
Six years ago, Larry decided to open his heart and home to disabled dogs. When FOX 9 asked him why, he stated, “Just to have [them live] a happy life. And what we found that is they return it to people. Make ‘em smile”.
Inside the Sanctuary
Some of the 14 dogs use wheelchairs. Others have no legs at all. Yet, Larry doesn’t see these as negatives. Instead, he chooses to see each one’s uniqueness. “Buddha Bear” for one, is full of spunky attitude. And of course, there’s “Curious George”, the rebel of the bunch. Together, the band of ‘misfits’ creates a wonderful family that gives each other the support they need to live their best lives.
It’d be remiss, however, to not mention Larry’s assistant: Helping Hunter.
Hunter is a full-body-abled dog. Larry describes him as “a service dog for dogs”. Hunter helps the other dogs with difficult tasks. With Jordy, for example, Hunter will help push their wheelchair so that Jordy can build the strength they need to move around on their own.
An Inspiration for Others
The sense of care and camaraderie between the dogs is admirable, and Larry says people are often moved by how much they support each other. He says, “I get a lot of happy tears as they call it. They feel sad for them but happy for them”.
Larry routinely takes them all to parks and parades, and the dogs never fail to bring joy to anyone around them. Many of the dogs were injured as puppies, either from falls, accidents, or birth defects. Sadly, the dogs are unlikely to be adopted, and many were saved from euthanization.
And yet, if you ask Larry, he’ll tell you he’s the one being saved. He’s moved to tears as he talks about “the love they show back and the happiness” they bring into his life.
Due to the nature of their conditions, medical bills for the dogs can run up to 800 USD every month. If you are looking to donate to the Forever Home for Misfit Pups, you can do so through their GoFundMe.
