A pooch named after a sitcom dog is living up to his name, Champion. Like a real champ, he made the best of a terrible situation and has now surpassed it.
In November 2018, animal workers rescued about 50 animals from the home of an alleged hoarder in Arizona. Champion, who was only six months old at the time, was among the many malnourished dogs saved.
His condition was far from surprising. After all, there were so many of them and so little food to go around. Champion, as well as nine other canines, went to a local rescue group to wait for foster families to take them in.
Champion was cheerful and perky despite the situation he had been in, but the shelter staff noticed something odd about him. The pooch refused to put weight on his right front paw, resulting in a pronounced limp when he walked.
Because the rescue group couldn’t give Champion the medical care he needed, they reached out to the Helen Woodward Animal Center. Their medical team did an x-ray on the injured leg and found that it was broken in two places.
The first fracture even went through the dog’s knee joint. As there were signs that arthritis was already creeping in, it’s most likely that the injury occurred a few months previously.
Champion was still young, and his bones were not yet fully developed. Hence, the medical team decided to amputate the leg rather than let it impede the canine’s growth.
He got his name the day before his surgery. The Helen Woodward staff, who are fans of the sitcom Parks and Recreation, called him Champion after a rescue dog in the show.
That name was a great fit. Like Parks and Rec Champion, Helen Woodward Champion was missing one leg. And like the TV dog, he has a sunny disposition that never fails to make anyone smile.
Following the successful operation, Champion recuperated in the care of his foster mom, Rebekah. She was amazed at the canine’s resilience — he quickly learned how to get around with only three legs. Best of all, Champion remained the affectionate dog he always has been.
Just a month after his surgery, Champion was happily running around and playing, now completely free from pain. Shortly afterward, the canine found a forever family who would give him all the love he deserves. Watch Champion be his usual energetic self here:
Source: Inside Edition on YouTube and Helen Woodward Animal Center
