Hi there! My name is TriPod. I am a three legged Golden Retriever. I know my name may not seem very original and some people may not like it but it is MY name and I wear it proudly! Not just any ole run of the mill dog can have a name like mine. You have to be special and deserving to have such a name.
Unlike many others who have had to undergo surgery as a result of injury or illness I was born with three legs and a fin (that’s what I call it).
I guess I am what you would call a “natural born” tripawd. For me there has never been any adjustment because this is all I have ever known.
My Tpod Mom found the tripawds.com site and thought it was a good way to learn and share with others the joy and concerns of having a tripawd. And a way for her to learn about ways she can take care of me better.
I just turned two on January 17, 2013 and just recently came back home to my birth family. My story goes like this:
I was born in a litter of 10. There were 6 boys and 4 girls. The doc said there probably wasn’t enough room or something restricted the growth of my right front leg so I only have a little shoulder. (My fin). At first it was a little tough getting around but once I figured it out I was off and running just like the rest of my brothers and sisters. We grew fast and soon we were all finding new homes and families to love us. I went with one of my brothers to live with someone who was supposed to give me a forever home. Everyone who took one of us was told that if “for any reason” they could not keep us they were supposed to bring us back to our birth family and they would make sure we got a good place to live. Well for some reason my family could not take care of me but did not return me to my birth family. Instead they gave me to another family who couldn’t keep me, who gave me to another family who couldn’t keep me. I wasn’t mistreated at all but really needed a forever home. The last family that had me ended up taking me to a local private shelter. And it was through a series of events that I ended up being found by my birth family.
One of the nice ladies that volunteered at the shelter really liked me so she took a video and posted it on her facebook page for her friends to see. She was hoping to find a family to adopt me. As it turned out a friend of her’s saw the video and that friend was a friend of someone from my birth family. She called the owner of my birth mom and the next thing I knew they were at the shelter and taking me home. They talked to the lady that had the shelter and told her they would foster me until they could find someone who would give me my forever home.
As soon as I got back to my birth home I got to see my mama Koda, my grammie B and my auntie M. They were all so happy to see me and knew right away who I was. I was so excited because we had lots of room to run and play and roll around.
The man at the house kept telling everyone “now he’s just staying until you find him a good home right?” but I was really hoping I was going to get to stay. Over the next couple of weeks I was on my very best behavior making sure that I didn’t tear anything up, get too excited or get in trouble. I always made sure when the man sat down to watch TV to slither slowly into his lap and put my head under his hand. He would pet me and keep telling everyone “we are NOT keeping this dog.”
Life for me was changing quickly. I went from staying home alone most days to going to work with my auntie M and tpod mom almost everyday! I love to ride in the car and am a very good boy when I do. Jumping in the back….no problem! When I am at work I get to hang out under my tpod mom’s desk and snooze on a nice comfy pad. We go outside a couple of times during the day and the guys who work there come in and rub me and talk to me everyday. It is a very dog friendly place!
About a week before Christmas I was snuggled up on the sofa with tpod mom when the man told her he hadn’t gotten her a Christmas present yet. She was rubbing my head and didn’t even miss a beat when she said “There’s no need to get me a Christmas present because he is laying right here in my lap.” My heart skipped a beat! Was it truly possible that I was going to get to stay here forever?
The man just rolled his eyes and said “why did I know the minute that dog came into the house he was never leaving?” He wasn’t being mean. In fact, he was smiling when he said it. He just said OK but NO MORE DOGS after this one! MY DREAM HAD COME TRUE! I was back in my forever home. My birth home. With my birth mom, gramma, auntie, my tpod mom, tpod sis and tpod bro.
So that’s my story to this point. I will keep you posted as my journey continues. My human mom (tpod mom) will probably give you some insight once in awhile too. Hopefully, not when I do something bad. (which isn’t very often) but hey I’m a dog what can I say……..
Until next time….
TriPod
“Living life to the fullest……one hop at a time”
