Duke

We would like to introduce everyone to the gorgeous and ever so cheeky Duke, he is an 11 week old German Short-haired Pointer.
Duke came to us as a 2 hour old puppy, we were called upon by one of our amazing vets, who asked us if we could take on a disabled puppy who needed our help otherwise he was to be euthanized, well of course we said yes.
Duke was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his right paw, cutting off all blood supply to the lower part of his limb which meant he would sadly lose the leg as it would eventually amputate itself, he was such a strong puppy who had so much fight in him, which only made us want to fight even harder for him.
Duke was a fantastic eater from the start, he took every bottle and soon went on to solids, he never turned down food and as you can see he certainly doesn’t look like he has missed any.
We were fortunate enough to watch him grow from a tiny puppy who fit in the palm of our hands who’s ears and eyes were still closed to watching his eyes open for the first time and seeing how new he thought the world was.
Duke’s foster carers became his surrogate mums and so he is very much used to people and being handled by people, he loves to be around people and animals alike as he has also grown up with his foster brothers and sisters including dogs, cats and rabbits. Duke loves to play with his puppy friends and when he is tired he’ll go off to sleep. Duke has grown into a beautiful, fun loving, playful and energetic pup who just wants to explore.
Duke’s disability doesn’t define him and he certainly doesn’t realize he is missing a leg as he moves around very well on three, even out running our other dogs with four legs, to him this is normal.
As Duke is going to be a larger dog this will more than likely put a strain on his remaining front leg which could cause it to bow, we have taken him to a physiotherapist to see what could be done to help him put less strain on his joints and unfortunately a prosthetic leg isn’t an option for him as his leg is not long enough to hold the prosthesis, but the possibility of a frontal wheelchair when fully grown is more than likely going to be what will happen for him to help support his weight especially when going on walks etc.
Our ultimate goal is to ensure that Duke stays pain free and enjoys life just like any other dog, we have decided with the support of his physiotherapist and vet that we will go ahead with the amputation of the right leg as this will ensure he is pain free and happy.
As Duke has ongoing physio needs he will need to go to a home who is happy to continue to see our physiotherapist as well as keep New Beginnings involved in his ongoing care to ensure he receives all the treatment needed for him to live a long and happy life. Anyone interested in adopting Duke will need to be ok with the understanding that one day Duke may need weight bearing assistance most likely in the form of a frontal wheelchair and that this will not change Duke or his personality in any way.
Duke is very much a puppy and will try and play with and or eat anything in sight, he is a smart dog and is as quick as a whip when running around, he is a real dork and will trip over his oversized feet, he will make you laugh but most of all he will give you the best cuddles, the best kisses and never ending love and companionship. Duke is great on lead and is almost fully toilet trained he is even learning basic commands and will need ongoing training to ensure that he becomes a well behaved dog.
Please contact us if you are interested in Duke, we will be getting him neutered and will have his arm surgery done in the coming couple of weeks so we are hoping that he will have found his perfect home to go to when he is ready. Please share Dukes story.
Duke will be a permant foster only, as we will be covering vet visits etc.