12 August 2009

Meet Faith - the two legged dog.

The first time Caity Stringfellow laid eyes on Faith, she doubted the 3-week-old pup would survive the night. The full-blooded mutt was missing one front leg while the other was deformed, and her mother—a friend's dog—had been trying to smother her when Caity's brother Reuben plucked Faith from the litter. The Stringfellows rushed the pup to a vet who suggested euthanasia. Instead, the family took her back home. "She was tiny and adorable," says Caity, a model.

faith_baby


"She had this expression that said, 'Help me.'"

After Faith's deformed leg was amputated because it had begun to atrophy, Caity, her mom and two siblings took around-the-clock shifts nursing her to health. Then came the next challenge: The dog couldn't survive groveling on the floor, so they enticed her to rise by holding up spoonfuls of a favorite treat, peanut butter. Soon she sat up. Then, one day, she walked. "We all went crazy," says Caity's mom, Jude Stringfellow, 46, a high school teacher. "It was like watching your child take its first steps."

Before long, the furry biped, now 5, was chasing geese at the park. Faith now accompanies Jude on motivational talks to veterans' hospitals. "When people see her," says Jude, "they often break into tears. They realize that if Faith can do this, there's nothing they can't accomplish."

11 comments:

  1. Great example of life's enduring spirit. So nice to see.

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  2. Great story..and an admirable pooch..:)

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  3. glad the people had a big heart just like the dog

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  4. OMG look at that puppy face!!!!! Beautiful story lol.. I'm smiling !!

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  5. beautiful story indeed....

    and now, sweet lil faith on the move...

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  6. Was reading that in 2007 Faith was approached to appear in the next production of Harry Potter..As a spell gone wrong..i cant recall seeing her. Does anyone know if that came to fruition? Will have to watch when I get home thanks David

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  7. Was reading that in 2007 Faith was approached to appear in the next production of Harry Potter..As a spell gone wrong..i cant recall seeing her. Does anyone know if that came to fruition? Will have to watch when I get home thanks David

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  8. What a beautiful story, and an adorable dog. That puppy pic is too much!

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  9. That's one hell of a cute pup and one hell of a wonderful lady to take her on.

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  10. I'm still impressed..plucky little fella...;-)

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  11. Correction...plucky little miss...lol...

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