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| Dupree |
“Only we can make this a better world for animals,” I wrote last month,
profiling a woman who does just that.
Today, here are two people making the world better for one animal, and oh, all the good they do
for him!
Dupree is a big, black, gentle and lovable Newfoundland with a white
blaze on his chest. He lucked into
having parents -- my neighbors, Joanne and Greg -- who have rearranged their own
lives to assure the best possible quality of life for him.
A custom-made ramp from their deck to the ground was only their latest
aid for Dupree (named for the movie "You,
Me and Dupree"). Now nearly
10 years old, he was diagnosed at 8 with hip dysplasia and arthritis, both
severe. That’s why he’s willing to come back inside via the ramp, but he uses
the front door for exits, refusing to walk down
the ramp.
As a kind of moving landmark in the area, Dupree is widely known, even
though these days he’s more likely to lie in the grass outdoors and enjoy the
cool breezes than to romp around. With
two fur coats, “Newfies” don’t mix well with warm weather, so Dupree’s parents
keep the house temp low and the deck door ajar -- and often stay outside with him
for more time than they might otherwise wish.
They’ve shepherded Dupree through various health issues since he
finished puppy kindergarten and professional training. First up was a heart defect, pulmonic
stenosis, which required surgery and follow-up visits. Next came cranial
cruciate ligament (CCL) surgery on his left rear leg.
Dupree enjoyed good health for awhile after that, until at age 8, his right rear leg suffered the same fate as
its partner: CCL (comparable to ACL in humans).
Instead of surgery this time, his activity was restricted till the leg
healed, helped by “cold laser treatments” -- still provided twice weekly by a
mobile vet.
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| Dupree, about age 3 |
Along the way, Dupree’s treatments have included a wheelchair -- too
uncomfortable for him -- and a “Help ‘em Up” harness that Joanne says is “the
best tool for going outside of all the stuff we’ve bought.” It fastens under Dupree’s body and has two
handles on top to help lift the 154-pound dog.
(Did I mention that Joanne weighs about two-thirds of that total, or
104?)
Merely a run-down of Dupree’s current medicines would explain why his
parents “are both blessed to be working at home” -- Greg’s project manager role
allows that on most days, while as an attorney, Joanne opts to do document
review at home. Even so, the two have
not had a vacation together since 2012.
Dupree’s multi daily medications include some for pain relief, an
anti-inflammatory, a vitamin supplement for joints and probiotic powder that’s used
with food. Twice monthly he receives an
injection for arthritis pain, but when it gets really bad, his back legs do
what Joanne calls “pretzeling,” which he can’t undo by himself. She untangles his intertwined legs so he can
move about.
Recently, Dupree stopped eating from his bowl, so now when he barks, “I
try to guess what he wants,” Joanne says. If it’s food, she’ll feed him by hand from his
plate: boiled chicken and carrots served on top of dry and wet food. She brings water too.
The family also includes two cats, Brody and Hooper (both named after
“Jaws” characters), who love Dupree and supervise his laser treatments. During activity bursts afterwards, he flings
his toys around and the cats scatter them all over the house.
With this story about Dupree, there’s no need to use descriptive words
for his parents, such as “devoted,” “sensitive,” “tireless” or “generous.” Simply telling what they do for their beloved Newfie says it all.
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| Dupree in his harness |
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