Foster Dog = Love at First Sight
Tracey Lukkarila
By Andrea Zarate
My name is Andrea and I have been blessed to be the mom of sweet Lucy. It all started 4 years ago when I decided to foster a dog from ACPS. I had already been fostering kittens for a couple years at that point and I knew I wanted to bring a dog into my life. I never grew up with a dog and this would be my first time having a dog. That is why I chose to foster one first and get the hang of things.
One day there was a foster need for a small mixed breed dog who needed a calm place to recover from her injuries. She was hit by a car and brought into the shelter since she was apparently a stray. She had a fractured pelvis and injured front leg that she couldn't walk on. I saw her sweet face and knew she was the pup that I wanted to foster.
Lucy and her mom
“Our family fell in love with her and we knew she belonged with us.”
I brought her home and she hopped around on her 3 good legs... I called her my kangaroo. She was so sweet and even got along with our cats. It was a perfect fit from the start. After she recovered from her fractured pelvis it was time for the shelter's vet to figure out what to do with her injured leg. They realized it was actually an older injury that was never treated and healed incorrectly. It was painful for her and they decided it was better for her to have it fully amputated. She went through the surgery and I continued to foster her through her recovery. It was tough but I was with her every step of the way.
We officially adopted her once she was medically cleared from her amputation, but her journey to a healthy life was not over yet. Lucy was heartworm positive when she arrived at the shelter. She then had to go through months of tough treatment, but she is now heartworm negative! All of her heartworm treatment was free for us since it was all paid for by FOJA.
Having only 3 legs has not stopped Lucy from being such a vibrant and active pup! She still chases after squirrels and doesn't know she's any different than other pups.
She's our little princess and has a special place in our hearts. I couldn't imagine life without her!!
Tripods Rule!
Being 3-legged doesn’t slow Lucy down one bit!