Abused puppy Cola learning to walk again
Cola, a male puppy, has made headlines when a neighbour of his owner hacked off its two lower front legs. Now, it is learning to walk again with prosthetic legs under care of a Soi Dog co-founder who has also lost both of her legs.
Earlier this year, Cola was attacked with a sword by Theprachen Srisoda, 36, because it had chewed one of his shoes left outside his house.
Due to a huge public outcry in the Thai press, and increased pressure via a petition organized by Soi Dog which was signed by over 96,000 supporters from Thailand and abroad, the man was sentenced to one month detention by the court under the new Animal Welfare Law.
Having been rescued by the Bangkok branch of Soi Dog Foundation, the puppy Cola underwent life-saving treatment at the Rama V branch of the Bangkok i-clinic.
The Soi Dog foundation announced in a press statement that the dog had recovered so well that he was suitable for having prosthetics fitted so that he can walk again. Head vet Dr Aom, who also holds an engineering degree, manufactured made to measure artificial legs for the young dog.
Last week Soi Dog Foundation co-founder Gill Dalley, flew to Bangkok to take Cola to Phuket to continue his recuperation and rehabilitation. Gill is herself a double amputee as a result of a rare soil-based gram negative bacteria that she picked up whilst saving a dog in 2004, and as such has built up a special bond with Cola, according to the foundation
Gill described Cola as a perfect dog, intelligent and extremely friendly to everybody he meets. Gill is now teaching Cola to walk again, something she is very familiar with herself, and can regularly be seen walking him on the beach in Thailand. Even when not wearing his new legs Cola has managed to teach himself to walk on his back legs, holding his front stumps in front of him kangaroo style.
Offers to give Cola a permanent home in the United States have flooded in but it looks like Cola may just have found a home with Gill right here in Phuket, the foundation said.
Soi Dog Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation established in 2003, is a legally registered charity in Thailand, the United States, Canada, Australia, the UK, France and the Netherlands.
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