#RescueDogs #FranklinThePittie

Today was a very sad day. Our rescue dog Franklin had 5 aggressive episodes, unprevoked, in the last four or five weeks. He fought with one of our other dogs, and in two episodes, my wife, Kathy, was injured.

Prior to today, our vet who had treated Franklin for 5 years, thought he was in pain, perhaps a brain tumor, as this sudden change might indicate.

As we prepared to explore this, he did it again today. Each time it happened she was alone with the three dogs. Franklin was increasingly possessive of her.

Today, Kathy's leg was badly bitten. After seeing our doctor, and after a dozen stitches, she made the decision to have him put him down.

She rescued him. She knew from day one he'd be ours. He had been dumped on a dirt road in Georgia, 7 months old, 24 pounds and emaciated, with deformed front legs.

This was for the best. If he was rehomed, he certainly might have injured others. As a rescuer, she knew if he did have pain, all the testing and treatments would lessen his quality of life, especially as he aged.

No rescuer makes this very difficult decision lightly.

Today was very sad and very hard.

#FranklinThePittie

Despite looking guilty in this image, Franklin loves to sit/perch/rest here. Our guess is that it is really comfortable for him.

Of course, if someone comes in the yard, he leaps over the arm and crashes into the floor.

#HandsHelpingPawsProject #DogRescue #DogsOfMastodon
#FranklinThePittie

This image is of our Franklin and my wife. He is our rescue with the fused elbows.

She got a tattoo of this image and it is also now the Logo image for Hands Helping Paws Project, a non-profit that raises money to help people (with their pets) who cannot afford medical expenses.

#RescueDogs #DogsOfMastodon #FranklinThePittie

This was our crooked boy the day he came to us 5 years ago.
He was so little!

#DogsOfMastodon #RescueDogs #FranklinThePittie

There's no mistaking that square headed Pitbull look! Franklin, some may recall, has fused elbows, so he cannot straighten his front legs.

If he's resting like this, his front paws just dangle there.

We think it's adorable.

Also Franklin resting next to my leg on the sofa. You can see his bulky elbow and developed shoulder muscle.

#FranklinThePittie #DogsOfMastodon #DogRescue

I thought I'd share a short clip of Franklin to show how he gets around with his fused front leg elbows. He does fine as you can see. We are watching carefully as he ages, to look for bone or joint issues, but he doesn't have any callouses on either paw, all the hair is there, too!

He is our crooked boy!

He also has been in the most fights... we are always extra careful. We think it's his first thought if a larger dog comes up on him fast, towering over him. He's been in an altercation with our other dog and a foster dog when we did fostering.

#DogsOfMastodon #Pitbulls #Lapdogs #SmeagolThePitt #FranklinThePittie

A few years ago, now, but Franklin hardly EVER sits with me in my rickety chair and the one time he does, Smeagol has to get up there and ruin it!

#DogsOfMastodon #RescueDogsOfMasdtodon
#Wendell

If I can find a few images of Wendell when he came to us to foster, I'll add them in the comments.

This is Wendell, a crooked boy if there ever was a crooked boy. His front legs are every which way but big and strong. He is full grown here, his owners say he is about 40 pounds and gets around fine. "He is a menace is ever good way, scared at first, but warms up right away."

They have a crate at the ready covered with a blanket when he gets scared of new people of the vacuum.

He was one of our most memorable fosters. You might recall we have a front leg birth- defect dog ourselves, #FranklinThePittie

#RescueDogs #RescueDogsOfMastodon #GlamorShots #FranklinThePittie

Remember that time Franklin went to #CharleensPortraitStudio for a photo shoot for a cute dog contest?

I sure do!

Franklin cannot straighten his front legs---his elbows are fused--a birth defect. He was dumped by a dirt roadside in rural GA. He gets around just fine and can even run, a little, like me.

#SpookySeason #CloseEnough #FranklinThePittie #RescueDogs #Dogs #DogsOfMastodon

I call this one Franklinstien...the neck bolts go in the fur swirl!