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ANIMALS >> HANDI-CAPABLE PETS
Bailey (left), a former Haile’s Angel, was born without her left front paw. Allie (top right) was born with Cerebellar Hypoplasia, a neurologic condition. Kane (bottom right) came to Haile’s Angels when he was five weeks old. Though he is paralyzed from the waist down, he’s as playful as his feline friends.
“Because they’re differently abled, they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, you know, it’s not a puppy or a kitten that is running around and that you have for their whole lives. Some of these guys do require some extra veterinary care, so they tend to be overlooked in rescues,” said Dr. Sam Rivera, a veterinarian with the Haile Plantation Animal Clinic and chairwoman for Haile’s Angels Pet Rescue’s board of directors. “We wanted to show to the community that these animals are fantastic, they’re just as loving, if not more loving,” she said. “We wanted to highlight them and their different abilities – or their handi-capabilities as we call them – just to bring awareness to them in general.” Regardless of their neurological disorders or physical ailments, every pet that has attended So Fetch has confronted their condition with courage, determination and resilience, proving that with a little love and patience, our furry friends can conquer anything. Speedy is an affectionate and curious 15-year-old white poodle that adores warm belly rubs and accompanying his owner, Dr. Becky Gill, on car rides and shopping trips. His friendly, relaxed personality overshadows the reality that Speedy is blind in both eyes and is missing his teeth. After losing her dachshund, Lady Bug, Gill, who lived alone and was retired, wanted to adopt a 98 |
OUR TOWN MAGAZINE
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dog that needed her as much as she needed them. During a visit to Haile’s Angels, Gill met and adopted Speedy who instantly showed affection and interest in being in her arms. Since his adoption, Speedy has learned to navigate his new home – minimizing accidental bumps into corners – and spends his days being the co-pilot on drives to the post office or acting as a box-office assistant at Chiefland’s Suwannee Valley Players where Gill volunteers. “I just think for an older, abused, blind, toothless dog, that he is doing wonderfully,” Gill said. “I’m so happy I’ve been given an opportunity to adopt him because he has been a joy in my life.” After losing her 15-year-old Jack Russell, Liffey, Coleen Tomlinson, who had other paw-padded companions in the home, and her male Jack Russell, Chester, were heartbroken. Knowing she’d eventually want to adopt another dog like Liffey to help mend her heart and comfort Chester’s loneliness, Tomlinson reached out to friends in local rescues and within five days learned 9-year-old Bebe was at a local adoption event. Still mourning her loss and assuming Bebe’s smile would get her adopted quickly, she declined the adoption offer. Unbeknownst to her, Bebe had a large tumor removed that left her with a permanently bent back leg and the hesitance of potential adopters.