Cooper, an American foxhound, is one of a kind. In the world, he is one of only a few dogs with short spines.
In short spine syndrome, the vertebrae are severely compressed, sometimes even fused together. Inbreeding is believed to cause the condition.
A 2-month-old puppy was found abandoned near Halifax, Virginia, in 2017. A Minnesota shelter, Secondhand Hounds, took care of the dog after he was picked up by animal control.
Cooper will be fostered by Elly and Andy Keegan. Despite his mobility issues, they worked with him to improve his quality of life.
Cooper fell and fractured his neck several times when he first arrived at the Keegan’s, but that didn’t dampen his spirits. Only a few months later, he suffered from a bone infection.
“He also underwent surgery that allows him to go to the bathroom a little better, so he’s quite low maintenance and can go on his own now,” Elly said.
Cooper was put up for adoption after the Keegan’s cared for him for six months. There would be countless applications for the “happiest dog,” Elly was sure.
According to her, no one wanted to adopt Cooper. Then we received an application. Every other hour, I would break down. I was thinking, ‘Andy, I don’t know what we’re going to do! I couldn’t imagine handing him over and saying, “You’re Cooper’s family now.” They decided to adopt him themselves.
Despite some challenges at first, Cooper is living his life to the fullest and helping his new forever home to do the same.
When we rescued our other dogs, there was no getting-to-know-you period,” Elly explained. “It was a family from the start.”
The fact that many dogs with conditions like Cooper’s are euthanized makes me so sad,” she told Fox News. Cooper is a good example of how much living they have to do. “He is now a key member of our family and lives a happy and normal life.”
