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| Name: |
Sofie
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Age: |
Five and a half years old
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| Gender: |
Female |
Breed: |
Mastiff, Golden Retriever mix
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| Home: |
Tampa, Florida, USA |
On December 25, 2012 - Christmas Day - little Sofie was born. After witnessing her health deteriorating, we finally brought her home when she was four weeks old. She was too young to be away from her mother, but we feared for her life if she didn't get immediate medical care She was malnourished, weak, riddled with fleas and unresponsive to human contact. We bathed her, got rid of the fleas and fed her baby food every two hours, even through the night.
Within a few days she began waddling around and putting on weight. At this time we realized that there was something seriously wrong with her. She could barely walk, lost her balance easily, and there was something wrong with her eyes.
When she was eight weeks old, we took her to get her first round of puppy shots and we were told by the vet that she was a special needs puppy. We took her to the Humane Society for a second opinion and were told to euthanize her because she was a special needs puppy with neurological issues and was note expected to live another two weeks.
We refused to have her killed.
The following week, we took her to a Neurological Specialist for an evaluation. We got good news! After an extensive exam and blood work, he advised not to put her down, and instead put her on an aggressive antibiotic treatment. He also suggested enrolling in obedience training to see if she was capable of learning.
Almost immediately, Sofie's condition improved. Her motor skills improved and she began bonding with us. She now runs, plays, barks, comes when called and knows many tricks. Though she will never act or move like a "normal" puppy, she is very special and we love her very, very much!
She graduated easily from puppy class and moved on to the intermediate class. We hope to get her the Canine Good Citizen Award and for her one day to become a therapy dog. By 18 weeks, she was 32 pounds and a very happy, spoiled girl! She grew and grew, and is now the big, beautiful, loved girl you see today! We love you Sofie!!!
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