Lucifer’s Story

If you have been following Shed Happens for a while, then you know that we welcomed a new family member in July 2021. This cute, snuggly little man has been an amazing addition to our “pack”. But his life hasn’t always been easy.

I don’t usually share personal posts on here. Not that I am against them, it’s just not what I have designed this blog to be.

However, I think that Lucifer’s story needs to be told.

There are many myths out there about rescue pets. They are often referred to as ‘damaged’ or ‘undesirable’ by no fault of their own. People talk about them like they are somehow ‘less than’ purebred dogs because they don’t have a pedigree.  

(Note: I am not against ethical and responsible breeding. What I am against is the backyard breeders and puppy mills adding to the problem of overpopulation. Most families that purchase a puppy from a situation like that could have found a great match for their family through a shelter or rescue organization.)

I am here to say yes, Lucifer WAS damaged. But this sweet dog is a perfect example of how that hasn’t taken away from his spirit, his joy of life, and the abundance of love that he has to share.

Found and Rescued

Lucifer and his littermates were found in a ditch in Tennessee by a groomer in the area. She was driving to work when she discovered the pups, bringing them with her to bathe them before reaching out to her rescue contact.

The litter of pups found their way to Baker Bridge Rescue, a rescue organization run by John and Betty Baker.

Our little man (known as Gibby during his time at the rescue) was the runt of the litter. He was playful, loved other dogs, but was very skittish when it came to people – especially men.

John and Betty have dedicated their lives to helping dogs in need. They take in abandoned dogs and those that are at risk of euthanasia at their local shelter. After coming into the rescue, the dogs are properly vetted, cared for, and adopted out across the United States (and Canada with Lucifer).

I can’t say enough about the incredible work that they are doing and encourage anyone interested in supporting rescue efforts in the Southern States to make a donation to their cause.

Originally, I came across the rescue on Adopt A Pet while searching for dogs to feature on the Shed Happens social media platforms. I first saw his littermate Freddie and contacted the rescue. At that point, John let me know that Freddie had been adopted but Lucifer’s adoption had fallen through.

I have always had a weakness for German Shepherds, and there’s no arguing that you can see the shepherd in the little man.

I fell in love… It wasn’t long until he was on his way from Tennessee to Ontario, Canada.

His journey from Tennessee to Michigan was handled by Rescue Riders Pet Transport. They are a dedicated transport organization that delivers pets from rescues to their forever homes every week. Then, Julia, an incredible transport volunteer, handled the final leg bringing our sweet boy over the border and into Canada.

Our sweet little boy was starting his new Canadian life.

Canadian Life

When Lucifer first came to our home, he was a timid little guy. It took a while before I could touch him or handle him, and even longer before my husband could. But we were committed to working through the early adjustment phase on his time.

One big help, I believe, was our current dogs. Especially Daviana. She instantly took a motherly role, caring for him, cuddling him, and cleaning him.

In seeing her trust in us, he started to come around too.

Before long, we had an affectionate little man in his house that loved nothing more than snuggling in for a cuddle with mom after a game of fetch.

He had the opportunity to go on his first camping trip, visit his first dog beach, and experience the life that he would be living here with our pack. And he loved every minute of it! The little guy has an amazingly expressive face, and he has a smile that just melts my heart every time.

The Discovery

Early March 2022 Lucifer was playing with Daviana in our living room. He has a set of pet stairs to allow the little guy to get onto and off the couch safely and he uses them 99% of the time. But on this day, he decided he was going to launch himself off the couch and tackle her.

Following that incident, we noticed he had a little limp. So, off to the vet we went…

There was a good chance that he just had a soft tissue injury from the play session. So, it was recommended that we would keep him on crate rest for 2 weeks with some pain management to keep him comfortable.

After the 2 weeks we started slowly introducing physical activity and everything looked great at first. But it wasn’t long before we saw the limp returning.

Back we went and this time we discussed other possibilities. A big concern was elbow dysplasia. We had done a test through DNA My Dog that revealed he is a German Shepherd, Australian Cattle Dog, and Bernese Mountain Dog mix. All 3 breeds are known to be high risk.

To either confirm or rule out early signs of elbow dysplasia, we had x-rays taken and they were sent to an orthopedic specialist in the area for a consult. We had no idea what we were about to discover…

At some point, Lucifer had suffered fractures in both of his front legs. They were surprisingly severe for a young pup that was showing no sign of serious pain, and they had been there for an extended time. The vet advised that he had suffered these before being rescued, and the incident with Daviana had likely aggravated them just enough for the limp to be seen.

That meant 1 of 2 things – Either he suffered the injury while being thrown in the ditch, or in the few short months of his life before that date.

This time we ramped up for a full month of strict crate rest, which wasn’t easy with a high-energy puppy!

We tried to make his life as comfortable as possible during that time, even bringing the crate along for a camping trip so that he could still travel with us (although he spent much of it laying in my lap in the hammock). To prevent pent-up energy, we invested in several different food puzzle toys to challenge his mind.

Where Are We Now?

Early May Lucifer went in for the next round of x-rays to see how things were progressing. These too were sent off to the orthopedic specialist to review and give us a recommendation.

Unfortunately, the result wasn’t what we were hoping for.

In the month of crate rest, his fractures did show some healing. However, the specialist advised that it wasn’t enough. He predicted that the fractures likely weren’t going to fully heal and with the joint right there, options to help it heal were limited.

The recommendation moving forward is that we are going to let the sweet boy live his little puppy life to the fullest while focusing on pain management. He is highly mobile, upbeat, playful, and loving. We do have Metacam on hand to address any pain or discomfort when necessary.

At some point, the fractures will break through fully. This could happen in 6 months, or this could happen in 5 years. The timeline is unknown.

When that does happen, the specialist recommended surgery to fuse the joint. It will have an impact on his mobility, but the prognosis is good for him to live a happy, healthy life.

We are still seeking second opinions just to see if there are any new and innovative options available to give this little guy a chance to be a hyper, happy puppy without worrying about the pain of his fractures. But, we have yet to find something to date.

Regardless of what we discover, we’re going to make sure that he has the best possible life we can give him.

One option that I am currently exploring to allow him to continue to enjoy being part of our pack while accommodating his needs is to introduce a hiking pack like the K9 Sport Sack. This will allow him to come along on our hiking adventures without pushing him to have to be on his feet the whole time. I have started to research and price out the different models and options available.

We have also started an Instagram account for Lucifer where we are going to keep updating on his process and life for this happy little guy. We are hoping it will help to inspire others to give a ‘damaged’ dog the second chance they deserve!

Rescuing isn’t always easy. You don’t always know what you are going to be faced with, or what problems may await you.

But, if this sweet, loving boy can teach you anything, I hope that it’s how worth it that journey is!