Deformed dog gets second chance at life

Just like the Disney character 'Bambi,' a little puppy at the Greenville County Humane Society had a hard time standing up on her own. The Labrador retriever mix started out life fine. She was quickly adopted out at the Humane Society. But a few weeks later, the adopter had to bring her back. The puppy had gone through a sudden growth spurt. Her bones had outgrown her muscles.

A veterinarian agreed to perform a medical procedure she'd never done before on Bambi. The idea was to wrap heavy bandages and splints around the little pup's legs. If it worked, the legs would straighten while they grew. If it didn't, they'd have to think of another course of treatment. After several weeks of wearing what looked like casts and eating a special diet, it was time to unwrap the bandages. To everyone's surprise, Bambi's legs straightened. They were weak, but straight as an arrow. Now, it was time for Bambi to be up for adoption a second time.



Then one day Melissa Henderson walked into the shelter looking for a puppy. The staff told her about Bambi and she went to see the little pup while she was being given a bath. "I lost my leg 10 years ago in a motorcycle accident," Henderson said. "Losing my leg changed my life a lot. It gave me a lot of gratitude. I thank God every day for the loss of my leg because of the many blessings that have come out of it."

Henderson has fully recovered and now wears a prosthetic leg. She said Bambi went through a lot of things she had to in life, so she adopted Bambi that day. Henderson said she got a sign from God that this adoption was meant to be when she was filling out the adoption paperwork and saw Bambi's birthday was the same day as hers, Aug. 28. Bambi will be putting her newly corrected legs to good use. Henderson is a volunteer coordinator for a Gentiva Hospice. She is training Bambi to be a pet therapy dog for hospice patients. She will be the first dog in that hospice's history to meet with patients.