In mid January, 1998, we received a call from the Humane Society of Bay County, Florida, in Panama City. They had a young collie they had picked up as a stray who needed veterinary care for an injured leg. We picked up "Peanut" on January 20. After doing some investigating, we found that Peanut had been hit by a car when he was 6 months old At that time, his owners did not see to it that he received appropriate veterinary care, and he lost the use of his leg. The damage had occurred within the growth plate of the bone, and so the leg had stopped growing as well. After many consultations with veterinary experts, it was decided that the leg should be amputated. To help his other hip (which would now have to do the work of two legs), we had Peanut's vet implant gold beads. We are happy to report that he is still happy and healthy, and will enjoy many able-bodied years to come!
Peanut has many nicknames. This came about due to his tendency to come whenever we called ANY other dog! When we called Bear, he would push her out of the way and so he became "Bear-Nut". He could even push our big Moose out of the way, so he was also "Moose-Nut". "Beau-Nut", "Buddy-Nut", "Lucky-Nut"...all names applied to him!
HIS LIFE'S WORK
After the surgery, we thought that since Peanut was such a happy-go-lucky dog, he might be well-suited to Pet Therapy work. We began working with the Companions for Therapy (COMFORT) Program in Tallahassee, Florida. Peanut was a "great, unspoiled mind", but he did very well! He was the first dog we trained completely off-lead, hands off, with treat only coercion. Well, after 3 short training sessions Peanut learned “sit", "down", "shake", and "leave it". We especially couldn't believe he learned "shake" so fast...he has to support himself, sitting, with just one front leg balancing all his weight -- in fact, the instructor wasn't sure he could physically do it. Peanut says, "Bah! Just watch me! I'm not disabled!" It is amazing what a dog will do for a little snack! He also learned "paws up", so he would put his front feet on a chair to be more accessible to sitting patients, and he would even hop up into a chair on command to sit next to them. He was a "Wonder-Nutt"!
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Peanut shows off his bedside manners. |
Peanut's first therapy experience was a party that the Shriner's threw for some of their kids. He had a BLAST! He went to every child he could get to, asked to be petted, leaned against wheelchairs, nuzzled hands, gave kisses, and was generally a Super Nutt! The most touching moment was when Peanut was with a severely retarded boy in a wheelchair. This boy didn't have much control of his hand, and you could see he wanted to pet the Nutt -- this is the only kid whose hand Peanut licked -- and that little boy was so happy with that warm, wet tongue just kissing him like crazy! One of the Shriners was really moved by Peanut, and made a point of thanking me for bringing him. "We have a lot of kids missing limbs, and it is really important for them to see this dog." Of course, Peanut was a favorite of the Lassie fans, too. His manners were perfect; he was really in his element!
A NEW HOME!
About this same time, a family in St. Petersburg was looking for a Collie. They’d made up their mind to get a Smooth Collie. They were surfing the Internet, researching breeders, when they came upon a link to Tallahassee Collie Rescue. They went to the website, and opened the adoptable dogs page. Peanut was the first dog they saw. They stood in front of the computer staring at his face. Something about his eyes told them he belonged to them. Then they read his story. The fact that he was going to have a leg amputated didn’t faze them; they had both seen dogs get along fine with three legs. When they read he was suited to be a Pet Therapy dog, they couldn’t believe it. Linda’s Mom was in a nursing home and loved dogs! It seemed like a “meant to be” thing. They sent TCR an email expressing their interest in adopting Peanut, pleading their case as the Nutt’s perfect home. They kept their fingers crossed, hoping he hadn’t already been adopted. He hadn’t! Then they found a breeder who had a 6 month old female Smooth Collie named Jilly who had been “returned” by a family who didn’t want her anymore. They decided to get both, knowing they would be the perfect match for each other. As soon as Peanut completed his Pet Therapy training, he came home to his St. Petersburg pack: complete with his beautiful Smoothie and three cats. He and Jilly are devoted to each other and are completely inseparable. He is a joy to the entire family (with the exception of one cranky cat who puts up with the dogs nicely but begrudgingly!) He is the most chronically happy dog in the universe, and runs faster on three legs than his doggie spouse runs on four! Peanut and Jilly spend their days herding pelicans and seawall waves (what’s a Collie to do? There aren’t any sheep in Madeira Beach!) His family calls him the “Energizer Nutt”.
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After he was adopted, his new family has made sure that Peanut continues his therapy work. They frequently take him up to see Linda's mom, and he is definitely the hit! He is always so good. They walk him all through the nursing home, and the smiles on all the faces are worth a million bucks. |
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Linda's mom feels like queen for the day with her Peanut boy with her. She is crazy about him. So is everyone else that meets him. He is the “Love Nutt”. |
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HIS "LEG"ACY!
In 2002, Peanut also inspired a wonderful rescue miracle that saved the leg of another rescue collie, MacRae. MacRae had broken his leg while playing outside, and required a very expensive surgical treatment to repair it. In honor of Peanut’s lost limb, the Nutt family donated the amount needed by rescue to cover the vet bill. MacRae completed his recuperation and was recently adopted with full use of his leg.
Thanks, Nutt-man!
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MacRae with his similarly-winged buddy, Lorri, during their recuperative period |
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