WRITTEN BY: Lauren Cavagnolo
What started with Che’Lynn Jackson browsing the Animal Aid thrift store online ended with the adoption
of Jackson, a 2-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier with three legs and a wheelchair.
“Animal Aid has a thrift store that sells things to help [homeless animals]. I thought, ‘Oh cool, a thrift store.’ Then
their website came up, and I was just scrolling through all their pets,” Che’Lynn recalled. And that’s when she saw Jackson for the first time.
“It was just a close-up picture of his big ol’ smiling face, and it said his name was Jackson. And it was just one of those things,” Che’Lynn explained. “I came home, and I don’t think [my family] took me seriously when I said, ‘Guys, there’s this dog; he has three legs. And I fell in love with him; I’m going to bring him home.’”
The next day Che’Lynn and her fiancé Randall Cleek went to Animal Aid to interview with one of the adoption coordinators and meet the dog that had captured Che’Lynn’s heart.
“We got to meet him, and we just instantly knew we had to bring him home,” Che’Lynn said. “I didn’t know that he came with the wheelchair. I thought even though he had three legs, he was still just a perfectly walking [dog], you know? So
when we went there, and he comes speeding out in his wheelchair, it was just, ‘Oh, wait, hold on.’ And they
said he does physical therapy … it was just a lot more than what I had known. But it was so worth it.”
Director of Animal Aid Maxine Mackey says it
is not uncommon for animals like Jackson to be passed over by potential adopters.
“The double dose of a Pit Bull and injured as
such can be very challenging. It takes a special person to not be swayed by the ‘Pit Bull stigma’ and recognize that three legs is almost as good as
four,” Mackey said. “Most of the time, it’s not the dog bothered by having three legs but rather the person. Unfortunately, some are looking for that perfect dog. … Really, I say that a three-legged Pit
Bull is more than perfect because he knows you gave him a second chance.”
Road to Recovery
No one is exactly sure what happened to Jackson to cause his injury, but it is thought that he was hit by a car. When he was found, his back had already healed
crookedly, and nothing could be done to correct it.
He also had lost the use of his hind limbs and had been dragging his back legs behind him, which has left scarring on his remaining hind foot.
“One night, [volunteers with Animal Aid] said they went in there, and the pain was just so unbearable, he practically chewed off his leg,” Che’Lynn shared. At that point, the decision was made to amputate the leg. “Then the whole physical therapy process started again but with three legs.”
Jackson recently graduated from physical therapy at Animal Acupuncture where he worked closely with Morgan Wolf, RVT, since the summer of 2019.
“He was going to have a tough road just being a large breed. Any dog that is hind-limb paralyzed is a hard [situation] to overcome,” Wolf said. “Knowing all of that, I had no hope for Jackson, and that’s a hard place to sit. We decided to work with him anyway; we thought he deserved a shot.”
Animal Acupuncture sees many patients like Jackson, including animals with neurologic disease, three-legged dogs, broken backs and hind-limb paralysis.
“I do think Jackson is where he is at because of Che’Lynn and Randall. They basically saved that dog’s life. He couldn’t have asked for better,” Wolf said. “He had almost every odd stacked against him, and he was able to find a home. Usually, when people see a paralyzed dog, they think, ‘Well, we are going to have to put him down.’ Pain management and canine rehab have made big strides. Euthanasia is not the answer anymore. Every pet deserves a chance.”
Just a Normal Dog
Che’Lynn says she hopes Jackson’s story can not only break down the stigma against differently abled dogs but also the stereotypes against Pit Bulls.
“My whole thing with dogs like Jackson is people think it is going to be a burden and a hassle and stressful. And at first it was stressful! But things that you have never done before usually are,” Che’Lynn said. “It’s just a stigma. It
really is. I would just like for people to know he is just one of the most innocent babies I have ever met. Having three legs doesn’t stop him.”
When the couple first brought Jackson home, there was an adjustment period of figuring out a bathroom routine and the best ways to help him get around the house. Jackson plays hard, resulting in some extra expenses with wheelchair parts. But Che’Lynn says it has all been worth it.
“He is much more independent than what you would think he would be. Obviously, that’s going to deter some people—needing special care,”
Randall added. “But we are really not doing that much extra than what you would normally do for a dog.”
Jackson’s big smiles and meaty head are some of their favorite features about him. Che’Lynn says he loves taking naps, playing with his big brother and peanut butter. He likes to spend time outside and sunbathe. Because of both his breed and the fact that he uses his front legs to scoot around, he is very muscular in his upper body. Randall says he often jokes that Jackson forgot about leg day.
“He loves every dog he meets. The same with whoever meets him. He just hangs out and is a good boy,” Che’Lynn said. In fact, Jackson helped their other dog with his socialization skills.
“When I rescued his brother Duke, who is a Boxer-Pit mix, he had always been outside. He had no human interaction, no dog interaction,” she said. “So Jackson actually taught him how to play and play with other dogs.
“He just doesn’t let that little nub stop him from doing anything he wants,” she added. “He’ll scoot on into the kitchen if we are cooking; if he wants to go, he’ll go.”
Since Che’Lynn and Randall work and go to school, Che’Lynn’s parents, Jackson’s Grandma and Grandpa as she calls them, often take him out to the dog park.
“Grandma and Grandpa will take him out and will send me photos of all the people just going crazy over him. Anyone he meets, you gotta fall in love with him. He is always the star of the dog park.”
“I don’t think he knows that he is disabled,” added Derek Jackson, Che’Lynn’s father. “The way he plays and the way he runs and especially at the dog park going after the other dogs, he acts normal, and it’s great!”
While Jackson does have a wheelchair, his preferred mode of getting around is scooting. Che’Lynn says he often whines when strapped into the wheelchair. For this
reason, she decided to get a wagon to pull him in for walks around the neighborhood.
“In this neighborhood, the dogs are mostly friendly, but they get out a lot. We have found two neighbor dogs in our backyard already, but they just play. And it’s like ‘Oh my gosh, what dog is that?’ And then you just see Jackson chasing after a neighbor dog. It just worked out so perfectly for him here,” Che’Lynn laughed.
“I just want people to know: don’t give up on an animal like that,” Che’Lynn said. “They are still capable of loving your family.
