Cooper, an American foxhound, is a one-of-a-kind dog. He is one of only a handful canines on the planet who has short spine syndrome.Short spine syndrome is a hereditary disorder in which the vertebrae are severely compressed, and in some cases fused together. The disease is thought to be induced by inbreeding.I’d like to explore a problem that comes up regularly in queries, direct messages, or uninformed comments, and…
Cooper – Short on Spine, Big on Love posted this on Thursday, March 10, 2022.
A 2-month-old puppy was discovered abandoned near Halifax, Virginia, in 2017. The dog was picked up by animal control and taken to Secondhand Hounds, a Minnesota shelter.
Cooper was agreed to be fostered by Elly and Andy Keegan. Despite his mobility issues, they worked with him to improve his quality of life.
Cooper fell and cracked his neck in multiple places when he first arrived at the Keegan’s house, but that didn’t dampen Cooper’s spirits. Neither did a bone infection that struck him only a few months later.
“He also had a surgery which helps him go to the bathroom a little better, which means he’s quite low maintenance now and can go by himself,” Elly was quoted as saying by Fox News.
Cooper was placed for adoption after the Keegans had cared for him for six months. Elly was confident that the “happiest dog” would receive numerous applications.
“Nobody wanted to adopt Cooper,” she explained to The Dodo. “And then we got a candidate.” I suppose I had a breakdown every other hour. ‘Andy, I don’t know what we’re going to do!’ I said. I couldn’t picture simply handing him off and telling him, ‘OK, now be Cooper’s family.'”
They made the decision to adopt Cooper themselves.
Cooper is living his life to the fullest and helping his new forever home do the same, despite his difficulties in the beginning.
“With our other rescues, there was no getting-to-know you period,” she remarked. “It was a family from the beginning.”
“It breaks my heart that many dogs with conditions like Cooper’s are euthanized,” she told Fox News. “They have so much to live for, and Cooper is a prime example of that.” He now has a joyful, normal existence and is an important member of our family.”