Hi. My name is Quincy. I am a three legged new foundland male dog aged 8 years old. At 8 months I was diagnosed with hip dysplasia on my back left leg.

It was at the age of 2, my owner took me to the vets for a simple Cruciate operation on my back right leg. This is a simple knee injury and a lot of us have it no matter what breed you are. This was back in 2003. The vets were very good with me, but for some reason the stitches did not heal and I was in a lot of pain.

My owner took me back to the vets numerous times and I got more tablets and injections but instead off getting better,  i started to get worse. I started to hurt when walking and my muscles started to waste away.

Three months later, I could no longer walk and my owner was carrying me to the vets – Trust me this is not easy. The vets gave me more tablets.

I did not know what was going on and I felt like I was going to die. That same evening, my owner had been sitting with me in the living room most the night and suddenly we were off again. He carried me to the car and he started to drive. I thought oh no, not again - the vets, I just went there earlier toady.

It seemed a different route though. We arrived. Raising me head up from the back car window I could see this very big building. It had lots of lights and lots of cars parked outside. I vaguely remembered  this place from when I was 8 months old. It was very early in the morning but there were a lots of humans in white coats walking about.

This very nice woman came and examined me. A few others came and put me on a bed with wheels and pushed me over to a room. I don’t remember much after this.

Over the next three months I was constantly on drugs and don’t remember much of what was happening. I remember my person coming every day to see me and sitting with me in my room and he would play with me until I fell asleep in his lap. I remember the same word being used quite often when he would speak to the people in the white coats – MRSA. I thought maybe this was the peoples name or something.

I remember waking up on day – this was a strange day. I wasn’t on my normal medication which made me normally feel very drowsy. I actually knew what was going on.

I looked around the room and started calling for room service. I was felling GREAT. I could not wait for my person. I wanted to chase the ball, play with my two brothers at home, lick my person and most importantly EAT.

My arms and legs were very stiff. I needed a stretch! I got up to have a stretch, and I mean the kind of stretch you some times need so bad – well I needed this stretch. And I needed it real bad.

Oh my GOD!!!! What the hell!!! Where’s my leg!!!! I think I passed out.

When I came around, I saw my person. I needed him so much now. He was talking to someone in a white coat and shaking their hands. He started to walk towards me. I knew I had to be brave in front of him, so I didn’t say a thing. I wagged my tail and was just so happy to see a familiar face. He hugged me and kept kissing my nose and hugging me more, and all the time I kept feeling these wet drops on my nose. Anyway he was happy.

Finally we went home.

I adapted over the next few months. My two brothers were great especially my older brother ( a cute little white thing, who was always normally telling me off – I think I heard my person once refer to him as a west highland terrier), even he was in fact very nice to me. He recently went away. I know he was very ill and had difficultly in breathing. I miss him very much and always wonder where he is. Somehow I always feel he is here in the room, in the house, playing in the garden. Somehow always looking over me. Weird uh? Any way I’m sure I will see him again one day, just not yet.

Six months had now passed by. I must point out that I live in place where I have over 10 acres of garden to play in. There is a lot of new people coming and going at present, people I have never seen. They seem to be building something. I don’t know what, but it looks great. It has glass all round and a big blue hole in the middle. I noticed a forest is being built around it as well now. It’s looking very nice. I wonder what it is.

Six MORE months later, me and my person go for a walk alone. This is strange as normally my brothers come with me. Hmmm….. We walk towards that new building.

Oh my GOD!!!. There’s water inside!! I want in!! Let me In! Now!!! Now!!! Now!!! Please !!!

He lets me in. I jump straight into this water hole. It is fantastic. It is so warm and clean. I love it.

5 Years later.

I’m still here. I have never felt so good. I go swimming 2 times a week. I am always strapped up to some form of harness and lifted in via a hoist. I have never had any problems with my legs. I was always slightly concerned that my back leg would give in sometime especially as my good leg was amputated. This is not the case – in fact every morning, I chase rabbits off my garden with my younger brother. The way I run, most people don’t immediately know that I am missing a leg.

My person has even named the swimming place after me. If you want to see what a 3 legged Newfoundland looks like, please have a look at my website on the photos section.

He asked me to mention a bit about him. Well... Thats enough. I think he was looking for more, but that’s all folks.

Thanks for reading my story. I’m off for a swim. You can always email me on quincyshydro@live.com

Quincy