Pani

The past six weeks I’ve had a special little addition to my home, my foster dog Pani! Pani’s life has changed so drastically since she first came into this world. Last year Pani was found abandoned on the streets of Iran (yes, Iran!), with a serious spinal injury that left her paralyzed from the waist down. The man who found her got her to the people at an Iranian rescue sanctuary, where she quickly became a staff favorite. The rescue sanctuary has over 200 dogs, many of them with special needs like Pani. And while she was so loved there, there simply aren’t canine physical therapy services in Iran to try to help rehab her injury. So with a lot of love and determination the sanctuary in Iran sent her to Animal Haven in NYC for a chance at a better life, and that’s how she ended up in foster with me.

Now that she’s here, Pani gets physical therapy and rehabilitation services twice a week, which are paid for by Animal Haven. In her sessions she does dry therapy, laser therapy and hydrotherapy – where she works in the pool and in the underwater treadmill. Taking her to her therapy sessions is one of the best parts of my week! It is so fun to see the progress she makes there. When she first arrived her legs were so stiff and atrophied, they couldn’t even be bent or used at all. She had adapted to dragging them behind her as dead weight. But since she started physical therapy not only can she easily bend and move her legs, but she can scratch her ears with them, has stood up on her own multiple times and has even taken a few steps on her own too. The physical therapists and I are so hopeful that she will walk again some day!

And since being here Pani has garnered quite the fan club on Instagram. People love her and she deserves every ounce of it! Lots of people write me to say how much we clearly love each other and that I should keep her. And I certainly do love her…so, so, so much. But if you’ve followed me for a while, or know me in real life, then you know that I’ve loved ALL of my foster dogs this much. Every single one of them. I love dogs. And that’s why I foster them. I’ve fostered 22 so far and I’ve loved them all unequivocally and wholeheartedly. So as much as I love Pani, my job is to help get her better and help find her an amazing forever home, so I can continue fostering and getting as many dogs as possible out of the shelter.

So that said, I wanted to give you all a little bit more info about what she’s like and what kind of forever home she’s looking for. I can happily say that Pani and I are in our groove now. But it took us a little while to get there. Now that I know her really, really well, here’s the lowdown on what you’ll get if you adopt Little Miss Pani…

You’ll get…

A two to three-year old dog who is full of puppy energy and so playful. She doesn’t care if she can’t walk normally. She is so happy to be outside and feel the wind in her hair that she will go full speed, even with her legs dragging behind.

You’ll get…

An almost 12 pound ball of fluff who will literally jump for joy and cry tears of happiness every single time you come home.

You’ll get…

A dog who is sometimes nice and happy to meet other dogs (especially outside on walks), but sometimes gets a little sassy and likes to tell even the big dogs – that this bitch is in charge (especially when she’s indoors). Even if you’re a much bigger, much louder pit bull, Pani ain’t afraid of you. (This little chick picked up a New York attitude wayyyy too quickly. 😉 )

You’ll get…

A little nut job who LOVES to eat and is very food motivated. She really appreciates her fruits and veggies too.

Greens? “Yes please! More, more, more!”

Carrots? “Ummm, is there anything better or crunchier?”

Blueberries? “Love ’em.”

Peanut butter? “A gift from above.”

Medicine? “Dogs are supposed to not like medicine?! Who knew! Love this stuff. I take it like a champ!”

You’ll get…

A puppy who is still learning that “mouthing” (i.e. using her mouth during play) isn’t appreciated by humans. She’s getting better at this everyday and engaging in “mouth play” way less, but it’s a process and she’s still learning.

You’ll get…

A little bundle of love that loves to sleep in bed with you. She likes to start out the night with some solid cuddles, then wiggle down to the end of the bed so everyone has enough space, and then once you open your eyes in the morning (even if it’s just a teeny bit) she will wiggle her way right back to you to start the day off with more kisses and cuddles.

You’ll get…

A pooch who, if you lay down a towel or blanket on the bed for her to lay on, will sleep right next to it, but not on it. Because her mindset is: Everyone should be treated equally, right? If you [human] get to lay on the main blanket, then sure as hell, I do too. 🙂

You’ll get…

A pup who wears diapers. Because of her spinal injury, Pani lost the ability to control when she goes to the bathroom. When I first started fostering her she leaked urine constantly. So diapers have been pretty necessary for living in a home. We use these Honest diapers (size 1). I’ve tried every diaper out there and trust me, they’re the best for her. They’re the most absorbent and they’re eco-friendly too. Actual dog diapers sold at pet stores don’t do sh*% (no pun intended). And you’ll need wipes while you’re at it too, so we like these ones. But, a very positive effect of the physical therapy is that she is leaking less and less and seems to be regaining more and more bladder control. Those neural connections are getting stronger everyday! So her incontinence is definitely improving. No one can say for sure at this point, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that some day she may regain full control and be able to go outside like other dogs.

You’ll get…

A girl whose favorite toys are paper and cardboard. And there’s no box she loves to destroy more than the Honest diaper boxes, so save her those boxes!

You’ll get…

A little girl who does best on a diet of real food. I’m a big proponent of feeding all dogs real food instead of commercial dog food/kibble. But it’s especially great for Pani for two reasons, in addition to the fact that it’s just way more nutrient dense. 1. A diet of real healthy whole foods is so helpful in minimizing inflammation and helping her body to heal from her injuries. 2. Have you ever had to clean a doggy diaper (and then furry doggy booty) covered with loose poo? Well I have. And trust me. It’s NOT FUN. When she eats healthy, she has healthy bowel movements. And diaper clean up is a breeze and way more manageable.

You’ll get…

A dog who will most likely need maintenance care for the rest of her life. I’m so hopeful that she will walk again some day, but because of the extent of her injury, she may need rehab and physical therapy her whole life. She will benefit from alternative services like continued laser therapy, acupuncture, routine checks to manage UTIs (which are common in incontinent dogs), plus dedication and care to keep her skin healthy and prevent breakdown in the places where she drags her legs, etc. (I use calendula cream on her skin when it gets raw and it works wonders.) Pani will no doubt be an investment, but I bet one of the best ones you will ever make.

And last but not least…

If you adopt Pani you’ll get a dog who will inspire you every. single. day. Because despite the fact that in the past humans have been so unkind to her, and despite the fact that she hasn’t been able to walk, run or play normally in over a year, she is as happy, playful and sweet as us humans could ever hope to be. If dogs can smile, let me tell you, Pani does. She greets each new day with so much happiness and zest for life, whether her legs choose to work that day or not.

🙂

If you are interested in adopting Pani or learning more about her, feel free to reach out to me at tedi@tedisarah.com or Animal Haven through animalhavenshelter.org.

xo,

Tedi

P.S. If you like this post and want to read more of my animal rescue related ones, check out these posts below:

• 8 Reasons to Adopt a Shelter Dog (Instead of Getting One from a Breeder)
• In Loving Memory of Cody: 6 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got a Dog
• Fostering FAQ
• My Foster Dogs
• The Amazing Day-Day
• Meet Oliver
• Meet Peachy