A little French bulldog arrived at FAAS in a cardboard box. He had been abandoned in an Alameda park, and brought in by a Good Samaritan.
He peered up with his big Frenchie eyes and what seemed like a smile on his sweet face. Of course, we melted. We figured he’d be adopted quickly if no one came to claim him.
But moments later, we saw there was a problem. When Scoots (as we would come to name him) tried to get around, only his front legs worked. His back half, with slightly atrophied legs, dragged behind him.
The next day he was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), a degenerative condition that left Scoots with permanent paralysis of the back half of his body.The veterinary team told us Scoots would need intensive physical therapy to strengthen his back legs and see if any neurologic function could be restored.
Over the months, little Scoots worked so hard twice a week at a physical therapy center in Oakland, and with our devoted staff and volunteers.
He got stronger. He got a wheelchair. He trotted around so proudly with it. We were thrilled with his progress.
But what he didn’t get was a home. As friendly and adorable as he is, it seemed no one wanted to take in a dog with his physical challenges. Month after month went by. A few people came to meet him, but no one took him home.
It broke our hearts. We wondered if he would ever find someone special enough to adopt him.
He lived in our lobby area, a constant companion to our front-desk staff. He greeted people who came through our door, and became a defacto FAAS mascot. Everyone loved this happy-go-lucky guy.
One day, a year after he arrived, a family who had been watching him on our social media came in to meet him. They took him home to foster him. They fell in love.
Scoots is now living his happily ever after with two parents, one human sister, two cat siblings and another little dog. He’s over the moon. So are his people. So are we.
“He brings us so much joy,” says Nicole, Scoots’s adoptive mom. “He’s the perfect addition to our family.”
There are so many more animals like Scoots in need. Because of YOU, we knew we could keep caring for him and making sure he got all the physical therapy and medical care he needed no matter how long it took to find a forever home. No matter what, FAAS was there for Scoots because you were there for FAAS.
If you haven’t yet, please consider making a tax-deductible year-end donation to FAAS. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor who was also inspired by Scoots, all gifts up to a total of $16,000 made by midnight December 31 will be matched dollar for dollar.
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