An 18-month-old rescue dog without paws will be getting special boots this Christmas to aid with her mobility, CNN reports.
Back in August, Catherine Lumsden — the founder of a Hong Kong-based animal shelter called Catherine’s Puppies — rescued the Chihuahua Mix named Chloe after being briefed on the pup’s heartbreaking state.
According to Lumsden, some volunteers contacted her and informed her they had found Chloe abandoned while heavily pregnant. Shockingly, she had no paw pads or claws on all her legs.
During a vet visit, Lumsden discovered Chloe’s injuries were human-inflicted.
“The vet said she wasn’t born this way, and there is no way this happened by accident,” a heartbroken Lumsden shared. “They were at some point cut off by a person, not a vet. I have absolutely no way to find the monster who did this.”
Soon after, the dog began undergoing specialized treatment to ease the pain in her legs. Luckily, people donated towards her hefty vet bills after Lumsden shared a financial appeal post on Facebook. Moreover, the vet said that Chloe may need prosthetic legs in the future.
Dog with no paws finds forever home
Preeti Sharma was among the many animal lovers touched by Chloe’s publicized ordeal. For this reason, she reached out to Lumsden, expressing her interest in fostering Chloe.
By the time this happened, Chloe had already given birth to three puppies. That said, the shelter had adopted out one puppy.
“There was no question we had to rescue Chloe and her [two] pups,” Sharma, who already owned 6 rescue dogs, said.
It took a while before Chloe eventually warmed up to Sharma and her family. This is potentially because of the abuse she endured at the hands of a cruel human.
“When she first came home, she was terrified and scared of every human being. She wouldn’t let anyone — especially my son — come near her,” Sharma shared. Continuing, she explained, “If anyone tried to go near Chloe, she would surrender, close her eyes and cry.” Sharma added, “Which is why we feel her ‘human’ used to beat her as well.”
Thankfully, Chloe slowly started trusting her new family. Sharma mentioned that one of her rescue dogs — who is disabled and suffers from both cancer and epilepsy — has helped Chloe come out of her shell.
After about two months, the Sharmas officially adopted Chloe.
“It took her three months to trust and live without fear,” Sharma said. “And learn that in this house, no one beats her, and everyone loves her.”
To ensure Chloe enjoys a more comfortable life, the family ordered a pair of special boots from Sweden for her front legs, which seem most affected. The boots are scheduled to arrive around Christmas day.
“Her back legs are okay and she sort of stands like a Kangaroo,” Sharma shared. “We are hoping this helps her, but she may still require a prosthetic.”
