My name is Chance in Houston!

We are looking for someone special!

Chance started out as Scruffy. First, Chance was injured so badly his entire back end was paralyzed. Then, he was dumped in a rural area (Terrell, ugh). Finally, it turned out that the people who took him in were totally determined to keep him despite being too lazy to take him to a vet qualified to help him. Despite initially indicating they'd like rescue to take him, these people were keeping him in a doghouse outside, at the top of a set of stairs he had to drag himself up and down just to relieve himself, and they weren't even getting him pain meds. For five days.

After some intense wrangling with said people, Maizie's Mission heroically stepped up to take this boy, though they did not know what his chances of recovery would be after 5 days stuck in that doghouse. Luckily, the director of MM is a vet, and with her guidance and his current foster mom's incredible dedication and TLC, Chance has literally been given a 2nd chance!

Chance is 2-3 year old Jack Russell Terrier who weighs about 16 pounds. His current foster mom's work schedule is changing after Christmas, and she is hoping that a new hero can step in to help Chance on his continued road to recovery. Chance's foster would need to be willing to take him to once-weekly acupuncture appointments in Carrollton. More details on Chance and his needs, as written by his current foster mom, are just below, in blue.

If you'd like to be a special foster parent to a fabulous, loving, grateful, fight-for-life doggy, contact Erin Shults, director of Maizie's Mission, at drshults@maziesmission.org.


MESSAGE FROM SAMANTHA, CHANCE's CURRENT FOSTER MOM:
As I write this a little black nose gently nudges my arm, l look down into these hazelnut eyes and immediately melt.. how could you not..... these eyes belong to a little Jack Russell terrier we know as Chance.. Chance was found by a wonderful lady called Deb Elkins, we don’t know what had happened to him but he was living for 5 days on a front porch of a house in the cold. He was found dragging his back legs, unable to walk, he had been found by some good Samaritans who wanted to help him, but they were unable to provide him adequate veterinary care and deicided that he should be euthanized. By the time Deb and the "Team" had convinced these people to hand him over he had been in that condition for 5 days. Deb whisked him away to Dr Erin Shults and upon her findings he was diagnosed with a severely crushed vertebra with a smashed disc, she gave him 7 days and held little hope that he would ever walk again. Chance had a different idea!! within 4 days of strict bed rest and some TLC he decide that walking on two legs was for humans and he started to use his back legs. One day I came home and this darling little man was at a wobbly stand .. his tail wagging so hard it it threatened to tip him over!! Once the 7 days were up I rushed him over to Dr Shults. I must say it was with some trepidation. Just because he was able to pull himself to a wobbly stand and lift his leg to pee ( what gentleman wouldn’t) I was afraid that it was not enough. Dr Shults was shocked and surprised with his progress and his determination to uses his back legs and gave him the green light to continue his therapy and to heal enough for him to be adopted in to a loving home.

Now that his over the critical stage Chance needs a foster who is willing and able to continue a round the clock care, he needs continued bed rest so he can heal the crushed disc plus physical therapy. He is taken out ever 4 hours or so and can go a little longer if needed, so that he can use the bathroom, I have not left him over night as my husband the insomniac pops him out for a pee in the wee hours so I cannot tell you how long he can hold himself, but as he has full control he may be able to hold himself as a normal dog will. Even thought his has full control, he does use the paper in his crate if I don’t read the signs that he wants a poop...no problem though he is a little Jack Russell so it very easy to cope with!! When he is lifted out side I keep hold of him in the the stand position so that he can wander forward using his front legs for that perfect place to pee, he is very very good. I try not to let him get away from me as he takes off at a heck of a lick, his back legs are nowhere near as fast as his back so we have a very ungainly gait and he does still half drag and half walk which has to be controlled as it does not allow him to heal and he will scrape the skin off his little paws and put unnecessary strain on his healing back.

He is a great lap dog and while in my lap I take advantage of the time and massage his legs which is imperative to his healing along with wheel barrows as Dr Shults calls them, this gets his little legs moving and keeps the muscles from atrophying and keeps the muscle supple. He must have the massage and leg work throughout the day for his absolute chance of recovery.
He has met both my dog and cat, a quick sniff of each told me that he is perfectly fine with other animals. He loves company and is quite happy to stay in his crate while I work on the computer or work around the house. It very important that the radio is on 1080..its his favorite radio station, it keeps him company and he loves the investment show!!..

He is the Valentino of hugs and kisses so be warned you will fall in love with this tiny Romeo with the big heart and even bigger determination to live.