Ripley entered our program after we received a message saying they had recently gotten a puppy but were having trouble socializing him. At one point, they had let him into the backyard and weren’t able to get him back inside. He avoided the door and ran from his owners whenever they came outside. We have to assume from his behavior and health that he’d been living outside for months, and we gladly accepted him into our program because that was no life for a puppy.
Ripley was underweight and malnourished, with a low red blood cell count and other health issues. He didn’t trust people, didn’t know how to play with toys, and it took months for him to adjust with the help of committed fosters and their dogs who took him under their wing. Ripley’s name comes from “Ripley’s Believe it or Not,” because his foster rarely works with puppies and prefers to focus on older dogs who need her, but Ripley is no ordinary puppy.
Fast forward to today and Ripley is thriving. He’s a healthy weight, loves to play with his doggie foster siblings, and will chase a ball until the cows come home.
Unfortunately, Ripley’s rough start has had lasting effects, along with unknown genetics that likely contribute to some of his problems. One of our main concerns with “backyard breeders” is that they don’t do vital testing to rule out issues like Ripley’s getting passed on. Instead, they blindly breed dogs for profit, who are almost certainly going to have problems that their future owners will have to deal with. A responsible breeder would be paying to test for these orthopedic issues and sharing that information with owners. Responsible breeders also tend to accept their dogs back at any time and have a contract that they require owners to follow, so we know Ripley definitely came from an irresponsible breeder. We always push for people to adopt, but we share Ripley’s story for multiple reasons
1. He’s an incredible and adorable dog who deserves your support!
2. We want to educate people on why it’s important to adopt or shop responsibly. There are ethical breeders out there, and if you choose to buy, research an ethical breeder who cares about their animals and does proper testing to ensure their health. Backyard breeders who don’t are adding to shelter and rescue strain.
Ripley’s lack of early nutrition and his genes have led to luxating patella, which basically means his knee joints don’t line up properly and are prone to popping out of the joint. We’ve sought multiple veterinary opinions and unfortunately – surgery is the best option. It’s also an expensive option – we were quoted $4,000 to do both legs.
You’d never know that Ripley needed surgery if you met him, unless you happened to notice that his left foot points in the wrong direction and his right leg often shakes from compensating for the left’s weakness. He’s a joyful dog who never shows any signs of discomfort – only gratitude for his new life. We know he can’t hide his discomfort forever, and the sooner we do the surgery the sooner he can rest, recover, and go to his forever home.
We strive to set each animal who enters our program up for success and get them what they need to thrive, but some, like Ripley, have a more extensive vet bill than others. If you’re able, please consider making a donation to help us continue to provide dogs like Ripley (and cats!) with whatever they need to live long and happy lives in their adoptive homes.
Donations can be made by clicking the button below, and your support helps not only Ripley, but all the animals we’ll save after him.
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