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PAWS TO
CONSIDER Journal of Healing – April 18, 2007 By Mary Koch Aha. I now have irrefutable proof that dogs are further along in the evolutionary process than humans. Yes, it’s me again – Sadie, the people dog. I’d prefer that my scientific evidence not be so personal, much less painful, but here is what I discovered: When a human loses a leg, that’s a 50 percent disability. When a dog loses a leg, it’s only 25 percent. Or, as the veterinarian’s assistant observed when I left the clinic, “Dogs have three legs and one spare.” I’ve used up my spare. The leg – front left – was thoroughly crushed and unlikely to knit itself back together. The Boss saved me weeks of pain and inevitable infection by saying clearly (and remember, he’s a man of few words), “Am-pu-tate.” That was a relief to the boss lady, who didn’t want to make the decision on her own. Of course you want to know how I broke my leg. So does the boss lady. Desperately. If I could figure out how to tell her, I would. This is one of those times, though, when humans would be better off if they would do as dogs do: Take your lumps, learn your lesson and move onward. In my case, hop onward. * * * I SAILED through the operation, which required only an overnight stay in the clinic. I suppose I should give some credit to the doc and her staff, but attitude is pretty much everything, isn’t it? I’m moving kind of slowly right now, slurping up all the extra attention, sympathy and occasional pain pill for as long as I can get it. I expect to spring back (Ha! Ha! “Springer” spaniel. Get it?) to all my important work – chasing sticks in the river, barking at the UPS truck, and nabbing treats off the kitchen counter. I could always do that with one paw tied behind my back anyway. We’ve been hearing inspiring stories from people who have known three-legged dogs. There are even support groups on the Internet. Frankly, it’s the humans who need support more than the dogs. I suspect humans over-empathize, as if it were their own leg that got sawed off. One Internet site (www.cassiesclub.com) astutely observes: “Because dogs don't live by the social rules and ‘beauty’ laws that we humans do, the psychological effects of the loss of a limb are nowhere near that which a human experiences.” * * * THERE ARE a lot of aids for disabled dogs, such as harnesses, carts and slings. I don’t need any of that stuff. Nobody had to teach me how to walk or climb stairs on three legs. I mean, it ain’t rocket science. One of the boss lady’s friends observed that, being a female, I’m better off than a male dog she knew. The poor chap lost a back leg and was forever having to find a tree to lean against so he could lift the other leg. We also heard from a
friend that three-legged dogs serve as therapists at some rehab
facilities to motivate disabled patients. It’s the opposite around
here. All my life I’ve been following The Boss around in his
wheelchair, and if I’ve learned one thing, it’s this: Doesn’t
matter if you’ve got four legs, three, two or none – it’s still a
life. And it’s good. © Mary Koch, Omak, Washington 2006 |
