by The Extraordinary Energy Of A Dog Walking On Two Legs – A Story Of Faith And Optimism
This is a story about a dog who was born on Christmas Eve, 2002. He was born with 3 legs – 2 healthy hind legs and 1 abnormal front leg which needed to be amputated. He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him. He was rejected and scorned. His name is Faith.
His first owner also did not think that he could survive. Therefore , he was thinking of putting him to sleep. At this time , his present owner Jude Stringfellow came into his life and wanted to take care of him. She was determined to teach and train this dog to walk by him self. She thought , all we need is a little faith.
Faith is a two-legged mixed breed dog that walks on her hind legs. Veterinarians say the condition can occur naturally, but that doesn’t stop her today. Now she can run foot over foot, she chases squirrels, she swims. She just does anything a natural dog would do,” said Faith’s owner Jude Stringfellow.
In the beginning , she put Faith on a surf board to let him feel the movements of the water. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and to reward him for standing up and jumping around. Even the other dogs at home helped to encourage him to walk. Amazingly , after only 6 months , like a miracle , Faith learned to balance on his 2 hind legs and jumped to move forward. After further training in the snow , he can now walk like a human being.
“We put it on plastic spoons, plastic plates above the nose ground so she would smell it and want her nose up and keep her nose up. Six months later, Faith took her first steps after she’d had enough of the neighbor dog’s taunting. All the sudden she stood up. He had bit her on the heel and she just chased him across the backyard foot over foot,” Jude said of the first she witnessed Faith walk.
Veterinarians have told Jude walking on two legs instead of four hasn’t hurt Faith. She’s stronger than normal four- legged dogs because some of those tendons are growing and adjusting and faith’s life expectancy is normal and her walking is different or odd looking but it’s not stressful at all.
Faith is also a top celebrity pet and appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Oprah and Montel Williams. Recently, faith and Caity also appeared in People Magazine. His present owner Jude Stringfellow has given up her teaching job and plans to take him around the world to preach, ‘that even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect soul.’
In life there are always undesirable things. Perhaps a person who feels things are not going as well as they could will feel better if they change their point of view and see things from another perspective. Perhaps this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone. Perhaps everyone can appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day that follows. Life is the continual demonstration of the power of thinking positive and having faith. Believe in yourself. Never lose faith.
