Charlotte, North Carolina - The story of Paddy is a sad one – but there is a happy ending! The dog was found tied to a tree in catastrophic condition, and one of his hind legs had to be amputated a short time later. Nevertheless, the brave three-legged friend never gave up and is hardly recognizable today.
As the Humane Society of Charlotte recently announced on Facebook, Paddy was discovered last year by employees of the animal welfare organization outside their entrance.
"Paddy was found tied to a tree at the front of HSC. Staff saw him when they arrived that morning. His fur was so overgrown and matted that no one could see what was happening underneath," they said in their Facebook post.
A broken leg also came to light, and as a result, the underweight dog had to undergo an operation – amputation was unavoidable.
Nevertheless, "he recovered well and quickly adapted to life as a tripod," Meg Doherty from the Humane Society of Charlotte told Newsweek.
"He continued to gain healthy weight, his wounds healed, and his personality blossomed. Paddy was friendly with people, dogs, and cats, and enjoyed resting close to his caregivers," Doherty added.
The best thing about the poodle mix's new life: he didn't have to stay at the shelter for long, but found a new, loving family!
Paddy the dog is living his best life as a tripod!
"I immediately thought he was a great fit because we were looking for a high-energy pup. His post stated he had lost one of his back legs, but that didn't slow him down," said the dog's owner, Alyce O'Shea.
"On the day after Thanksgiving, I went to meet Paddy, and my whole family – brother, sister-in-law, and my nieces – came along," she explained.
The woman gushed about little Paddy, who gets along very well with his new dog brother and loves to frolic around.
"It's lovely to watch him run and play. People often approach me, amazed they've been watching Paddy run for 15 minutes before realizing he is missing a back leg. That truly reflects how well he's thriving."
"Taking Paddy to the dog park is truly joyful," she added. "Despite his missing back leg, he sometimes runs faster than the other dogs!"