When it comes to some of the comments Mama Shannon Tarr receives, either on her Facebook pages, “Emotional Rescue, LLC” and “Rescue Life,” or on her website, emotionalrescuedogs.org, posts can vary from, “Way to go, Pierre!” to, “Why don’t you put that garbage down, you #@%*!”
Shannon takes it all in stride, “keeping on keeping on” by making posts about education, the story of each dog in her care, and why she does what she does every minute of every day.
Shannon wants to answer the question, “Why do some dogs who look like they need to be in wheels just move about on their own?”
It’s true, to a new viewer of any of ER’s social media posts, watching a puppy or dog with cerebellar hypoplasia, or CH, seem to struggle with walking and falling down, or even trying to lie down without squirming, can be kind of upsetting.
But here’s the thing: This getting up and falling down, squirming on the ground, and trying to sit up is all physical therapy, resetting neuromuscular pathways and gaining confidence in what movements can become possible.
Dogs like Sasha, Little Thunder, Cher, Mikiko, Josie and Joey will always need to be in their wheels. These are specially fitted carts that paralyzed dogs can scoot around in, allowing them to enjoy movement and freedom.
Care needs to be taken with paralyzed dogs, as they’ll drag themselves around by their front legs if they need to, causing sores, possible broken bones and other possible injuries to their bodies. Mama Shannon also has special beds for these dogs to lie in to protect their bodies during rest and sleep time.
Who doesn’t need a set of wheels, or who will graduate out of their wheel carts?
Dogs like Pierre, Kinni, Ole, Wuffda and Jagger!
These pups all have varying degrees of CH. Kinni and Ole are small puppies and are using wheel carts to learn the feeling of standing on all fours, and to develop the balance and muscular coordination they’ll need to graduate to moving on their own.
Wuffda and Jagger are already “coming in hot” with what they can do, finding themselves in space and loving the ability to just be free.
Why doesn’t ER “put these dogs down,” as some “negative nellies” like to get their “two cents” in through the comments sections on Facebook?
The answer is easy, and Pierre is a shining example: You never know what’s possible!
Almost two years ago, ER took in Pierre, who has a pretty severe case of CH. At first, all he was really capable of doing was lying on his side and squirming.
Mama Shannon didn’t think that would be the end of his progress, and she was right!
The process of physical therapy for Pierre has been long, more than 10 months, and he gets six bouts of PT each day from Shannon. But the breakthrough finally came.
Pierre went from lying on his side, to lying on his stomach with his head up as most dogs do, to sitting up, and now he gets up off the ground and walks!
The walking gets farther and farther each day, all because a special lady with the gift of patience, dog sense and love took Pierre in from another shelter and said, “This isn’t the end, not on my watch!”
Dear readers, if you ever need inspiration for yourselves, need a “pick-me-up” in your day, a reason to smile, and a way to see what patience, time, focus and support can do, please follow ER on its Facebook pages and website.
You’ll also see stories just like this in our hometown partner, the Hastings Journal. The Journal has always been there to help us share the great news of Emotional Rescue Life!