Meet HOUSTON and JOEY!
This beautiful dog was found as a puppy begging for food in the streets of Beirut, Lebanon, unable to stand or walk like a normal dog.
She was picked up and taken to the vet by a rescue partner who lives in Beirut. The SARA Sanctuary in Sequin, Texas agreed to accept her in Texas to provide a forever home at their sanctuary since the likelihood of finding one there was slim.
The SARA Sanctuary was not sure what to expect. They had seen some videos of the dog, but the person who found her wasn’t clear about her injuries or health. She was spayed and vaccinated by a vet prior to her trip to Texas.
Everyone thought she had been run over. She was wearing a diaper, so they fully expected her to be incontinent and paralyzed, further complicating her adoption chances.
When she finally arrived in Texas, the German Shepherd puppy now named Houston, was about 6 months old. They arrived late in the rain, so the Founder and Executive Director of SARA Sanctuary carried her inside and put her to bed for the night.
The next day, after spending time with her, it became apparent that not only was she not paralyzed or incontinent (she can scratch her ears and wag her tail), but she was house-trained and able to “walk” in her own way. They had already received a pretty pink wheelchair for her from a donor but found she didn’t need it (or like it)! She uses her back legs to propel her body along.
After an exam by the SARA Sanctuary vet, Houston was diagnosed with SLS or Straight-leg Syndrome also known as Straight Leg Shepherds. That’s because German shepherds were the first breed identified with this birth defect.
Affected puppies have stiff hind legs that don’t bend normally. They have limited movement in their muscles and deformities in the bones of their rear legs and hips. There is no cure or surgery that can correct the problem, but dogs with SLS can live a happy life.
Soon, Houston was ambling her way across the yard, playing with other dogs and chasing after them. She didn’t have any problems scrambling up to the fence and barking at the pigs or donkeys passing by.
About two weeks after Houston arrived, the Sanctuary received a litter of 10 tiny pit bull puppies and their mother. Once they were weaned, the litter was moved to an impromptu pen created for them within the same enclosure where Houston lives. The Sanctuary is a special needs home for older dogs and dogs who require extra care.
Houston started spending the entire day out next to the puppies, going back and forth attempting to play with them through the fence. They were a little too small and young to be able to romp with a much larger dog at first. After about a month they had grown considerably.