Heather and Kat Marchant of the Pibble’s Plantation, a sanctuary for puppies and dogs with special needs, had just taken in two Pittie puppies, Uriel and Samiel, when a man walked into their door and surrendered 4-week-old Gabriel. Like Uriel and Samiel, Gabriel also had swimmer syndrome and none of them could use their legs as they were intended.
The rescuers connected the dots and figured out the three puppies came from the same litter. They were of the same age, shared the same body built, and looked almost identical to each other. The only difference was that Uriel and Samiel were abandoned early on while Gabriel was sold to the man who relinquished him to the organization.
Uriel and Samiel, despite their condition, were happy and playful. They loved being around humans and they demanded attention all the time. Gabriel, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He screamed when someone touched him and he wasn’t interested in anything or anyone at all.
It took nearly a week before Gabriel felt safe enough with his rescuers. It wasn’t until then that he wagged his tail at them. At last, he opened up to them and trusted that they won’t hurt him.
The goal for the triplets wasn’t even to get them on their feet. Their rescuers simply wanted them to be in a state where they eat, drink, and breathe comfortably. Surprisingly, they conquered more than what was expected of them.
As the puppies started to grow in size, they began to build muscle mass and strength. It only took them a couple of therapy sessions and they were all able to walk on their four legs. They played outside with the big dogs and they enjoyed their time outdoors.
All of a sudden, Gabriel limped and he needed to have one of his front legs amputated. It was a stumbling block but it didn’t hinder him at all. In fact, he walked much better after the surgery because he was no longer in pain.
Soon, the triplets were set to be in their forever homes. Uriel moved a few blocks away to be with his loving family while Samiel stayed behind because Heather and Kat decided to let her stay. And Gabriel found two mommies, who loved him the moment they saw his photo on social media.
Source: Pibble’s Plantation and The Dodo