Pup's Owner Cut Off Front Legs as ‘Punishment,’ Now Dog Is Finally Free and Helping Others
After a heartbreaking incident left him without his two front legs, one inspiring dog is still determined to move forward — and he’s helping others move forward, too.
True, a mixed-breed, wide-grinned ball of fur, would look like any other dog, if not for the two wheels that serve as his new front legs to help him get around. Considering his energetic and loving personality, no one would ever guess that True was once the victim of terrible abuse.
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“He loves all dogs and people,” Erin Blaak, the dog’s new owner, said to Media Drum World. Happy and caring, the sweet dog loves to bring joy to those around him.
“He just wants to be loved by all,” Blaak, 31, said.
But before True found his new home, his life was a very different story. True belonged to an owner who struggled with drug addiction, which sadly led to cruelty and abuse for the dog.
The day he lost his legs, True was digging a hole in the garden of his house when his owner, who was high at the time, caught him and brutally cut off his front limbs as punishment.
Using his back legs to inch himself along, True managed to escape his yard and flee to a nearby neighbor’s house. His owner later died as a result of a drug overdose, Blaak told Media Drum World.
Finding the dog bleeding and close to death in their yard, the horrified neighbor rushed the injured dog to a shelter where he received medical care and began his long recovery.
The workers at the shelter cared for True as best they could with the resources they had but worried that his injuries would end up being too much for him.
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Spreading the pup’s story across social media and with the help of its rescue partner Cause 4 Paws, the shelter hoped to raise money for the additional expenses of his medical care.
That’s when Erin Blaak discovered True’s story.
“I wasn’t even looking for a dog, as we already have two,” Blaak said. “But I follow rescues on Facebook and his picture popped up with his story.”
“It absolutely broke my heart,” Blaak added. She knew immediately that she wanted to bring True home. She and her boyfriend made arrangements to rescue the dog and “give him the life he deserves,” bringing him back to live with them in Toronto.
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Now, the pup has a safe and loving home, and Blaak decided that her new furbaby’s infectious spirit was too good not to share.
True still faces challenges due to the loss of his front legs, and often needs a boost from his loving owners when he gets tired.
He is currently learning how to use his specially-designed wheelchair and temporary prosthetics, and is also in the process of becoming a therapy dog.
“True and I are going through the process of applying to get him qualified as a therapy dog,” she said.
“It’s our hope to visit the amputee divisions and bring joy and healing to those need it.”
True’s story has inspired many who have gone through abuse, reminding us that even in the darkest of moments, there are still reasons to hope.
Blaak hopes she and True can continue to encourage those who are suffering, especially as a result of limb loss, bringing light and joy where it is needed most.
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“True loves to cuddle and make people happy, as do I. We can’t think of a better way to spend our time.”
Liftable, a section of The Western Journal, reached out to Erin Blaak but has not yet received a response.
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