It is a sad day indeed when you witness something you can never unseen again. That is the case for one woman driving down a road in the northern part of Israel. She spotted something flying out the window of the car in front of her; a tiny puppy. The puppy was hit several times in the ongoing traffic before she could get to him. She called the emergency hotline of Let the Animals Live, a no-kill rescue based in Tel Aviv, which took the injured puppy in. What a sad thing to see, a puppy that would be paralyzed for the rest of his life. And what kind of life could he have?
Image by Let the Animals Live
Such a sad beginning for this paralyzed puppy.
“When he came to us he was terrified and scared,” Shevach Appel, spokesperson for the shelter, told The Dodo. “He’d flinch whenever anyone held out their hand to pet him“When he came to us he was terrified and scared,” Shevach Appel, spokesperson for the shelter, told The Dodo. “He’d flinch whenever anyone held out their hand to pet him. He was very sore and sad.”. He was very sore and sad.”
Rescuers later named the puppy Ben-Ben. He was examined by veterinarians that later stated his back legs were fully paralyzed. When he tried to walk, his back legs would drag behind him. He was then fitted for a wheelchair to help him get around — and let him finally run with the other dogs.
Image by Let the Animals Live
Hard times ahead trying to get adopted.
Because of his injuries it meant that Ben-Ben had a hard time controlling his body. Specifically when he went to the bathroom. This was sure to make it hard for him to get adopted. He spent two years at the shelter, being passed up for adoption. That was until Noya Nardimon, one of the workers who had looked after Ben-Ben, decided to give him a home for good.
“I remember falling in love with Ben-Ben the minute I saw him and he looked at me with those clever eyes of his,” Nardimon told The Dodo. “Deciding to adopt Ben-Ben was not easy, mainly because of the fact that I have a very close connection with many of the dogs that have been waiting far longer than him. But I knew no one else would be willing to take him home because of his incontinence.”
In 2013 Nardimon adopted Ben-Ben, giving him the forever home he’d been craving. She brought him to a specialist to make sure he was living in the best conditions.
He needed surgery to be able to have his best chance at life.
The doctor eventually suggested amputating Ben-Ben’s back legs, in hopes it could allow him to move more freely without the extra weight. He went in for surgery a month later, and has been able to move about much more easily ever since — both in and out of the wheelchair.
Image by Let the Animals Live
Paralyzed dog living the best life ever!
Now he’s 6 years old and Ben-Ben is the happiest he’s ever been! He goes on walks with his new mama, exploring the city for hours where he loves to greet new people. He also has a 10-year-old dog sister, adopted like him, whom he’s formed an inseparable bond with — he also loves the many special needs cats Nardimon has rescued over the years. This woman truly has the kindest heart in the world!
Image by Let the Animals Live
“I’ve raised a lot of dogs in my life but he is really the smartest, happiest dog I’ve ever known,” Nardimon said. “He has an endless joy for life, and when you think of everything he’s been through, it’s truly admirable. No traces of the trauma, no self-pity — he’s simply living the moment, being himself and enjoying it all. It’s a real life lesson.”
Image by Noya Nardimon
Featured Image by Let the Animals Live
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