There’s a lot of us out here who are born different, but some of us really get the shorter end of the stick. You bet other animals deal with this too.
Deformities and genetic conditions are tough to live with.
While we walk everywhere without a second thought, there’s some out there who’d give everything just to be able to walk.
Meet Cooper
Cooper is an American Foxhound who was born without a neck.
He came into the picture back in 2017. The very unique dog was found aba.ndoned, possibly due to his condition.
The place was Halifax, Virginia.
His parents are Elly and Andy Keegan.
Cooper is a strong, loving dog despite the cards he was dealt.
In fact, he’s fortunate (or perhaps, “blessed”) to even have made it this far.
“His condition is caused by inbreeding and it is unconscionable to me that he was just thrown away when the breeders realized he wouldn’t make them money.” – said Elly
No dog would have survived on its own with his condition. What’s more, dogs like him tend to be euthanized early on.
If simple stomach problems and severe mange are enough to get some dogs put down, then Cooper would have definitely not had a chance if he wasn’t found.
Cooper got a lot of help, and thanks to it, he has lived pretty long.
“Many dogs with conditions like Cooper’s are euthanized which makes me so, so sad. They have so much living to do and Cooper is a real example of that. He has a happy, normal little life now and is a key member of our family.” – Elly’s words as reported by Fox and PEOPLE
Just one look at Cooper and you can imagine how difficult everyday life must be for him.This is indeed the case. Walking is a monumental task, and he has trouble passing bowels since his rear is so close to his head.
“It’s hard because he can’t go for long walks and can’t spend a lot of time on hard surfaces. He has to be on soft ground like grass or carpet.” – she told the same sources
It took a lot of treatment and surgery to give Cooper an easier time.
Though that never killed his spirits.
He’s been through treatment after treatment, surgery after surgery. Cooper’s a determined one, and people have started to notice.