One of the worst traumas in a dog’s life is definitely being in the wrong home. There are still some people with not-so-good intentions that buy dogs only for cruel purposes.
That is exactly what happened to Gabriel, a special-needs puppy who was bought just to be raised as a mean Pitbull.
Despite his cheerful nature, Gabriel suffered a lot of trauma until he finally found a place where he would learn the true meaning of love.
This is his story!
Smiling Through Every Setback
Kat and Heather, the owners of Pibbles Plantation, a ranch for special-needs dogs in Blandon, Pennsylvania, first met Gabriel when he was a little puppy. He had an inborn congenital deformity and was unable to even stand on his legs.
“This puppy was sold at four weeks old with a congenital deformity and couldn’t stand up,” Kat told The Dodo.
The man who originally bought him told them that he wanted Gabriel to be fixed and meaner; otherwise, he wouldn’t take him back. Given his condition, Kat and Heather knew that he might never be able to walk properly, so they took him in with an open heart.
They were glad to be able to remove Gabriel from an irresponsible owner despite the fact that his treatment would be a long one.
Just two weeks before Gabriel arrived at their Pennsylvania home, Kat and Heather took in Uriel and Samiel – two puppies who also dealt with the same condition. The most fascinating thing of all was that Gabriel looked exactly like them.
They were the same age and clearly from the same breeding, and now they were about to embark on a healing journey – all together!
Unlike his siblings, Gabriel needed some time to adapt to the new environment. It took him a week until he started wagging his tail, but eventually, he got there! Together with Uriel and Samiel, he went through physical therapy.
The road to recovery was full of obstacles. In the beginning, all three of them were fed on potty pads, as no bowl was shallow enough for them to reach the food.
At the same time, they were doing the exercise in a wooden box with divisions big enough to fit them, but not to let them spread out their legs to the side. This helped them learn how to maintain balance, and eventually, stand up on their own.
At 12 weeks of age, the puppies finally got there! All three of them were standing without a problem, and now it was time to move to the next level. Unfortunately, Gabriel had another setback.
Kat and Heather noticed he was limping on his front leg. They subjected him to an X-ray, which revealed that he had congenital elbow luxation. According to a vet, with Gabriel growing up, he would be in constant pain. So, his leg needed to be amputated.
Miraculous Turn Of Events
Even though his caregivers were heartbroken, they knew that amputation was the only option for Gabriel. But, never in their wildest dreams could they imagine that the very morning after the surgery, this sweet boi would be a brand-new dog!
He instantly felt so much better, as if his pain completely vanished as soon as his leg was gone. Somehow, he walked better with three legs than he used to before, leaving his momma in awe.
They were so happy and grateful that he was finally thriving the way he was supposed to.
Gabriel soon found the perfect home! An amazing family reached out to Kat and Heather, wondering if they could adopt Gabriel, and it turned out to be the best decision possible.
“Our amazing boy Gabriel conquered his last hurdle, he found his perfect forever family! Gabe will forever be one of the toughest to say goodbye to, but making sure these babies and every dog foster has a great home is why we do this,” Pibbles Plantation wrote on Facebook.
He instantly fell in love with his new hoomans, who provided him with a beautiful home. Together with his family, he soon learned how to swim, play in the back yard, and embark on exciting adventures almost on a daily basis!
Once a hurting dog craving for some love, Gabriel now has everything he has ever dreamed of!