Canine amputees spotlighted

By Rene Agredano

UNTIL Gibson, the world's tallest dog, underwent amputation recently, many people were unaware that dogs could enjoy a good life on three legs. But we at Tripawds.com have known this for quite some time and now we'd like to let you know about our unique internet community created specifically for three-legged pets and their owners.

Tripawds.com is a worldwide community for the canine pet guardian faced with the difficult decision of amputation for their beloved pet. We created this website to show the world that it's better to hop on three legs than limp on four.

Every day in veterinarian offices around the globe, there is a pet guardian who must decide whether or not to amputate their dog's leg in order to save its life. At that moment, under the harsh glare of the exam room lights, it may be difficult to envisage their own animal bouncing back into good health on three legs. But not any more. Tripawds.com - an internet community for three-legged pets and their humans - is available to share support, tips, advice, movies and inspirational tales of canine cancer survivors and other tripod dogs.

Examples of Tripawd success stories include a two-year Irish Wolfhound cancer survivor in New York; an abandoned dog from Puerto Rico that had its petrified leg removed by a generous vet; and a yellow Labrador from Minnesota who continued to hunt even after losing her leg to cancer.

Tripawds.com provides a wealth of inspiration. Jerry's dog blog is regularly updated with movies of three legged dogs running on the beach, catching Frisbees, playing rough with other dogs and even swimming. Readers share their own stories in the Tripawd discussion forums and can chat live with each other any time of day. In addition, Tripawds.com includes health tips, definitions of canine cancer terminology and a storefront with tripawd needs in mind.

"We had never even seen a three-legged dog in person, until our own dog was diagnosed with cancer and had to have his leg amputated," says René Agredano, co-founder of Tripawds.com. Because examples of happy dogs on three legs were non-existent on the Internet, my husband Jim Nelson and I wanted to share the wonders of tripawd dogs with the world, by creating Tripawds.com. The site started as a way to share their experiences with their own three legged cancer survivor, Jerry.

For more information, please visit Tripawds.com, or contact jerry@tripawds.com, or call (707) 845-3129.