Jack Spratt needs a bionic leg

We’ve read in the newspapers this week about a cat who has been fitted with two bionic legs.    The cat lost both his hind legs in an accident and now a leading surgeon has made him two artificial ‘bionic’ legs.   The cat looks fine and his owners say he can get around just as before.   Spratt, our politically incorrect and completely bolshie Jack Russell, would be even more bossy if he was fully mobile.  Would this be a good thing?   Of course it would be great to see him on four legs again instead of three.   Some disabled dogs manage just fine with the loss of one limb, but poor Spratt had a broken pelvis and a broken hind leg too, so he is not so good without his missing front limb.    If he had an artificial replacement he would be on an even keel again, at the moment he is always off balance.    Jack Spratt came in to us as a puppy, he was found on a camp site where the occupants had moved on, leaving this poor little half starved and badly injured dog.   He was on a drip at the vets and the prognosis was poor;  there was a debate with the vet advising of the huge cost of treatment, then Spratt, ever the opportunist, licked my hand!   Save him, whatever it costs was the cry and after a huge bill and six months in a box in the kitchen, Spratt was back chasing cats and dreaming about chickens and flying feathers.    He is a great character dog though and ‘the boss’ here – most of the time we manage to curb his enthusiasm for a good ruckus.   We’re going to write and see if Spratt would be suitable to be fitted with a new leg.    Would it be a dangerous op for him?  What would it cost?   Would it hurt?   Would he be comfortable with it when it was fitted?   Animals can’t tell us about pain, we would need answers to these important questions.

If you’d like to ‘adopt’ Jack Spratt and help with his care and upkeep please get in touch.   Yearly adoption is £12.00 and we’ll send you all his details, his story and a picture – he’s a very photogenic little dog and regular updates.   Spratt will also send you a card at Christmas and you can come and meet him on our Open Days.   Send your name, address (or details of recipient if it’s for a gift) and we’ll send the Adoption Pack straight out to you.   [donate]