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Disabled Dog Is Falsely Labeled “Aggressive” And Scheduled For Euthanasia

Written by: Molly Weinfurter
Molly Weinfurter is a writer for iHeartDogs, and she’s passionate about helping animals in need. She volunteers for Bailing Out Benji and a local dog rescue.Read more
| Published on December 20, 2021

Timber, the German Shepherd/Chow Chow puppy, was scheduled to be put down for reasons that made her “less adoptable.” She has Cerebellar Hypoplasia, which makes her wobble when she moves. In addition to her special needs, shelters also labeled her as “aggressive.” No one was willing to put in the time and effort for a disabled, aggressive puppy, so she was almost euthanized.

But then, a local rescue found out about Timber’s situation. Diane Ewert, a rescue employee, showed up at the shelter an hour before Timber’s euthanasia and saved her life. She discovered lots of amazing things about the pup along the way.

Special needs puppy rescued
Instagram

Timber’s Second Chance

Timber had been surrendered to a California shelter, where they planned to put her down. When Ewert found out about Timber, she knew she had to do everything she could to save her. When she first met Timber, the pup was ecstatic to see her, but Ewert worried about how she would handle the pup’s aggressiveness.

“Eventually, I did take her home, and one by one introduced her to my dogs, and it was immediate to me that everyone had misunderstood [Timber],” Ewert said. “Everybody labeled her as aggressive, but she just wanted to be loved and just wanted to be near the thing that she was being so reactive to. This was a huge relief to me.”

Happy German Shepherd mix
Instagram

Timber ended up loving the dogs in Ewert’s home. Once she got to know everyone, she showed no signs of aggression. So, if no one saved her, she would’ve been put down due to a misunderstanding.

Ewert spent lots of time advertising Timber and trying to find a forever home for her. When Christina Powell and her fiancé Garret heard about Timber’s story, they knew she was meant to be in their family. They live in Alberta, Canada, so Timber had a long journey to get there.

Dog with festive wheelchair
screenshot, stltoday.com

Happily Ever After

Luckily, Timber’s trip from California to Canada was well worth it. She fell in love with her humans and doggie siblings right away. The couple even ordered a custom wheelchair for the pup, which they decorate for the holidays. When Timber runs through the snow, they can add ski attachments to the cart.

“Timber is an absolute ray of sunshine. She approaches every task with an ‘I can’ mentality, and if something does not go the way she planned, she brushes it off and finds another way,” Powell said.

Special needs dog adoption day
Instagram

Other than needing a wheelchair to help her get around, Timber’s care is no different than the average dog. She doesn’t need medications or additional vet visits for her condition. She just walks a little funny, but that’s okay. Timber’s adorable walk doesn’t take away from her quality of life, and she never lets it hold her back.

Powell hopes that Timber’s story helps encourage more people to adopt special needs dogs. There are so many dogs that are put down because no one is willing to take a chance on them. So, Timber can inspire people to save lives! If you’d like to stay up-to-date with her journey, you can follow her on Instagram.

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A post shared by Timber and Kona 🇨🇦 (@timberandkona)

H/T: people.com
Featured Image: Instagram and screenshot, stltoday.com

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