A puppy has captured the hearts of many with his ᴜɴʙʀɪᴅʟᴇᴅ spirit and unshakeable love. This puppy, born without front ʟᴇɢs, has been lovingly taken in by a foster dad who has helped him thrive and find joy in life.
Despite his physical limitations, this little pup is full of energy and loves nothing more than snuggling up with his human companion.
When Nubby Was Four Hours Old, A Veterinarian Suggested He Be ᴇᴜᴛʜᴀɴɪᴢᴇᴅ
The puppy had been born without his front ʟᴇɢs. And while his mother accepted him, Nubby didn’t have the sᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜ to get past the other puppies to eat.
“His siblings were ᴘᴜsʜɪɴɢ him out of the way. He would have ᴘᴇʀɪsʜᴇᴅ,” Lou Robinson, Nubby’s foster mom, tells The Dodo. “He came home with me.”
Robinson is a longtime animal rescuer based outside Houston, Texas, and the founder of a group called wᴀʀʀɪᴏʀs Educate About Rescue.
Robinson teaches classes about compassionately caring for animals and puts out a calendar featuring Texas firefighters with rescue pets.
Nubby, in other words, is in good hands. And, frequently, on a good shoulder – that shoulder belonging to Robinson’s husband, Mark.
It’s Truly Heartwarming To See The Bond That Has Formed Between This Puppy And His Foster Dad
Their relationship is a testament to the power of love and the resilience of the human and animal spirit.
The couple researched to find out how to keep this newborn puppy ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ.
They learned, for example, that Nubby would have to be bottle-fed at an incline to ensure that the puppy formula wouldn’t be inhaled into his ʟᴜɴɢs, ᴄᴀᴜsɪɴɢ ᴀsᴘɪʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘɴᴇᴜᴍᴏɴɪᴀ.
“Day three came and went, day seven, day 10, day 16, and Nubby thrived. He thrived!” says Robinson. “His eyes opened, his ears developed, he found his sounds, smells, and voice.”
And then, one Friday afternoon, just a little over three weeks after he’d arrived, ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴡᴏʀsᴇɴᴇᴅ.
Nubby was sɴᴇᴇᴢɪɴɢ. He wasn’t ᴘᴏᴏᴘɪɴɢ and he was blowing milk bubbles out of his ɴᴏsᴇ. He didn’t seem to want to eat.
“Nubby was going ᴅᴏᴡɴʜɪʟʟ,” says Robinson.
X-ʀᴀʏs revealed that Nubby didn’t just have the ᴅʀᴇᴀᴅᴇᴅ ᴘɴᴇᴜᴍᴏɴɪᴀ. The 3-pound pup had an “ᴇsᴏᴘʜᴀɢᴇᴀʟ ᴀʙɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟɪᴛʏ.”
“He had a pocket form in his ᴇsᴏᴘʜᴀɢᴜs ᴛʀᴀᴘᴘɪɴɢ his ᴍɪʟᴋ,” says Robinson.
Nubby Was Given An ɪᴠ ꜰᴜʟʟ Of ʜᴇᴀᴠʏ-ᴅᴜᴛʏ ᴀɴᴛɪʙɪᴏᴛɪᴄs And Placed In An ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ ᴄʜᴀᴍʙᴇʀ
He sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇᴅ to ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ, but Robinson saw he “was picking back up.”
“Nubby was not giving up. He was ꜰɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ,” she says. “And as long as he has a chance at quality of ʟɪꜰᴇ, we will ꜰɪɢʜᴛ to give him that chance.”
Nubby is back home now with Robinson and her husband. He just turned five weeks old.
Until he is a little bigger, the doctors can’t ᴘʀᴏʙᴇ him enough to ᴅᴇᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴇ the ᴇxᴛᴇɴᴛ of his ᴇsᴏᴘʜᴀɢᴇᴀʟ ᴀʙɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟɪᴛɪᴇs. They don’t know if they are ᴘᴇʀᴍᴀɴᴇɴᴛ and sᴇᴠᴇʀᴇ if they can be ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ, or if he’ll grow out of the ᴡᴏʀsᴛ. “We have no idea,” says Robinson.
Many people might look at this little puppy and ꜰᴇᴇʟ sᴏʀʀʏ for him, thinking he is somehow ʟɪᴍɪᴛᴇᴅ or unable to enjoy life to the fullest.
But in reality, this puppy is just as capable of experiencing joy and love as any other dog.
He may have to adapt his movements and find creative solutions to particular ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇs, but he is no less deserving of a happy and fulfilling life.
Robinson Spends A Lot Of Time Watching Nubby
She likes the sɪʟʟʏ faces he makes while he sleeps. Then he wakes up and wants to play, play, play.
She likes to think about ᴋᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ Nubby. Having him grow up to be part of ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀs Educate About Rescue. He could go to schools and teach about animal welfare. Help kids learn that it’s OK to be different.
That’s what Robinson’s hoping for. It will depend on a lot of good luck.
Nubby doesn’t seem to realize that he’s any different.
He is smart and active. He is learning to do an ᴀʀᴍʏ ᴄʀᴀᴡʟ and is trying to get up onto his back legs by pushing off from his face. Nubby seems frustrated – “ᴘɪssᴇᴅ ᴏꜰꜰ,” is how Robinson puts it – not yet to have mastered this move.
Nubby is “very happy, ɴᴇᴇᴅʏ, and ʀᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ already,” Robinson says. “Life finds a way.”
For his foster dad, caring for this puppy has undoubtedly been a rewarding experience.
Not only has he been able to provide a loving home for a ꜰᴜʀʀʏ friend in need, but he has also witnessed firsthand this little dog’s incredible resilience and spirit.