A LEGACY PAWS RESCUE STORY
Piper's Story
One of Nine
She's part of a litter of nine puppies, born to two mothers who tried to raise them together. One of those mothers, Jude, never fully came out of her own feral mindset, not even with me. I've always believed you can shape a dog's behavior almost entirely by how you raise them.
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Piper is the one who made me question that.
Not What People Think
Piper has never bitten a person. She gets along great with other dogs. What she has is a hard time believing anything is really safe from being taken from her, so if she decides something is hers, she'll fight to keep it.
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People have told me to put her down over it. I've had people offer to come shoot her for me.
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I don't believe that's who she is. I believe I still haven't fully figured out how to lead her the way she needs, and until I have, I'm not giving up on finding it.
Sent Back
She was adopted once. It didn't work out, not because of anything Piper did to a person, but because she and her new "doggy brother" couldn't share a house.
Her family still loves her. They still come visit her at the rescue.
Her Knees
The vet confirmed it was her knees, not her hips like we first thought. Torn in both. She needs two separate surgeries, months apart, just under $5,000 each.
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After the first one, her "good" leg was just another bad leg, so for two days she couldn't walk at all. I carried her outside every time she needed to go.
I Never Asked the Question
This came during a stretch when I couldn't fundraise, in the middle of rebuilding the whole brand from scratch, on money I didn't have. I never once asked myself whether to do the surgery or let her go. I just knew she was in pain, and I booked the first opening they had.
Piper has been with us longer than any dog we have. She's still waiting for someone who will take the time to understand her instead of deciding what she is from the outside.
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Until I know for certain she'll be safe, and seen, she isn't going anywhere.
