Stanly Joseph is happy that Mottu is finally on his own, thanks to an NGO here.
“I got him in January. I heard his crying from near the gate of my house. When I went there, I saw this little puppy lying there wailing in a sack.”
He was hardly four months old, emaciated, and his hind limbs were seriously damaged, said Mr. Joseph, a farmer, living at Chengalam near Pallickathode, more than 20 km from the Kottayam town.
He cared for him for more than a week. The puppy gained weight and strength fast, but was still crawling on his hind limbs. It was through the social media that he came to know about the NGO, Friends of Animals Kottayam (FRANK), and took his adopted puppy to P. Biju, who runs the NGO.
The puppy was finally taken to the NGO’s adoption-cum- rehabilation centre at Thalayazham.
“The dog was not at all able to bear his weight on both his hind limbs and was dragging his body while moving. That is when we decided to provide him with a ‘walker’ made of PVC pipes, side wheels of a children’s tricycle, and adhesive strap,” Dr. Biju said.
Help on the way
According to him, Mottu’s is not an isolated case. Many dogs, especially breeds such as dachshund develop similar problems. Dogs with degenertive mylepathy, hip dysplasia, slipped disk, injuries, those recovering from surgery, etc. do not bear weight on hind limbs. They need walking aids temporarily, or in many cases, permanently. Our NGO is ready to help such dogs and their owners,” he said, though this is a first for them.
