IN
IN PORTLAND. >>> THIS NEXT STORY IS A VERY
HEARTWARMING ONE AND IT IS JUST
IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
THIS YEAR, A SPECIAL DOG IS
GETTING A VERY SPECIAL PRESENT.
A BIONIC LEG IF YOU CAN BELIEVE
IT THANKS TO A BULLDOG RESCUE
ORGANIZATION THAT KEEPS ON
GIVING.
GIVING.
GIVING. BERNIE VOLCKER INTRODUCES US TO
WILLOW AND THE AMAZING PEOPLE
BEHIND THE PAD RESCUE.
>> IT IS AT CHRISTMAS TIME AT
THE AUDOVA HOUSE.
THERE IS A PITTER PATTER OF
PAWS JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE.
>> THIS IS BELLA AND BELLA IS A
PARAPLEGIC.
PARAPLEGIC. WE HAVE OUR LITTLE OLD LADY
TINKERBELL.
TINKERBELL. CLIFFORD WAS OUR FIRST SPECIAL-
NEEDS CASE.
NEEDS CASE. THIS IS WILLOW AND WILLOW IS
OUR NEWEST ADDITION TO THE
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
FAMILY. >> SHE IS OUR SPECIAL LITTLE
GIRL.
GIRL.
GIRL. >>
GIRL. >> AND AND ANDREW ARE THE HAPPY
HUMANS TO A PACK OF SPECIAL
NEEDS DOGS.
NEEDS DOGS. >> NOW THAT I'VE DONE THIS, WE
ARE HOOKED, WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE
SPECIAL NEEDS DOGS.
>> THEY MAKE THE BEST PETS
WITHOUT A DOUBT.
WE HAD SEVEN KIDS SO WE ARE
USED TO CHANGING DIAPERS.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> THIS IS ONE OF THEIR BELOVED
FURRY FAMILY MEMBERS WILL BE
GETTING A VERY SPECIAL GIFT.
WILLOW, THEIR ONE-YEAR-OLD
ENGLISH BULLDOG PUP IS GETTING
A BIONIC LEG.
>> HER FOOT WOULD GO INSIDE OF
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. >>
HERE. >> WHEN WILLOW WAS BORN SHE WAS
STUCK IN THE BIRTH CANAL FOR 12
HOURS CAUSING BIRTH DEFECTS IN
HER LEG. THEY WERE BEYOND
REPAIR AND HAD TO BE AMPUTATED.
WITHOUT PEOPLE LIKE RACHEL AND
KEN DAVIS WILLOW MIGHT NOT HAVE
SURVIVED AT ALL.
SHE WOULD HAVE LIKELY BEEN PUT
DOWN.
DOWN.
DOWN. >>
DOWN. >> THERE ARE MANY DOGS LIKE
WILLOW.
WILLOW.
WILLOW. THERE IS NO REASON WHY WILLOW
SHOULD BE ALIVE TODAY.
>> SOMETIMES THEY ARE RESCUED
AND SOMETIMES THEY AREN'T.
IT'S KIND OF A HARSH REALITY.
>> THEY ARE THE COUPLE BEHIND
LILY PADS RESCUE OUT OF
VANCOUVER. FINDING HOMES FOR
BULLDOGS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
>> WE EITHER HAD BREEDER
SURRENDERS OR OTHER OWNER
SURRENDERS.
SURRENDERS. WE PULL FROM DIFFERENT SHELTERS
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
>> RACHEL IS A HOSPICE NURSE
AND KEN A HIGH SCHOOL DRUG AND
ALCOHOL COUNSELOR.
ALCOHOL COUNSELOR. >> WE DON'T SLEEP MUCH.
>> HELPING OTHERS HAS ALWAYS
BEEN IN THEIR BLOOD. BUT THEY
CREDIT THEIR RESCUE TO ONE
POOCH IN PARTICULAR.
>> SHE LOVED EVERYBODY, NO
MATTER WHAT AND EVERYBODY LOVED
HER, NO MATTER WHAT.
>> LILY PAD, THE RESCUES NAMES
SAKE WAS BORN WITH SPINA BIFIDA
CUT.
CUT.
CUT. >>
CUT. >> YOU LOOK AT THESE DOGS AND
THESE ARE THE THROWAWAYS.
SO WE, AT THAT POINT, THOUGHT
WE WANTED TO DO MORE. WE WANTED
TO HELP MORE.
>> SINCE THEN THEY HAVE RESCUED
90 DOGS, FINDING THEM LOVING
FOREVER HOMES.
FOREVER HOMES. A HOME LIKE THE SOWERS'S ,
RACHEL HAS BEEN WITH THEM EVERY
STEP OF THE WAY LEARNING ABOUT
DIAPER CHANGES AND DIETS TO NOW
WILLOW'S PROSTHETIC LEG.
>> WE HAVE A VERY LARGE FAMILY
AND IT WASN'T IN OUR BUDGET TO
DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN RACHEL LOOKED AT ME
AND SAID NO, LILY PADS RESCUE
WOULD LOVE TO DONATE THIS AS A
GIFT FOR HER AND I JUST THOUGHT
WOW, THIS IS INCREDIBLE.
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. >> IT TOOK A LOT OF FUNDRAISING
AND THE HELP OF A SPECIAL
PROSTHETIC TEAM IN THE EAST
COAST. BUT IT WAS THE ONLY WAY
FOR WILLOW TO LIVE HER BEST
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. >>
LIFE. >> SHE'S A PUPPY, SHE NEEDS TO
BE ABLE TO RUN AND BE LIKE A
NORMAL DOG.
NORMAL DOG. EVEN NOW, WITH HER PROSTHETIC
LEG, THIS IS GOING TO BE, JUST
TO SEE HER RUN FOR THE FIRST
TIME, IT'S GOING TO BE AMAZING.
>> THE PERFECT PRESENT FROM A
COUPLE OF BULLDOG SAVING SANTAS
AND THE LILY PAD WHO INSPIRED
IT ALL.
IT ALL.
IT ALL. >> IT'S JUST AMAZING THAT SHE
HAS BROUGHT THIS WORLD TOGETHER.
SHE'S BROUGHT SO MANY AMAZING
PEOPLE INTO OUR LIVES AND SHE
HAS HAD A HAND IN EVERY SINGLE
DOG.
DOG.
DOG. EVERY SINGLE DOG THAT WE'VE
SAVED.
SAVED.
SAVED. >>
SAVED. >> IN LAFAYETTE, BRITNEY
FOLKERS, KGW NEWS.
>> WHAT A GREAT STORY.
AND THOSE PUPS ARE SO CUTE.
WILLOW'S PROSTHETIC BY THE
WEIGHT NEEDS A FEW MORE
ADJUSTMENTS BEFORE IT FITS JUST
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
RIGHT. KEN HOPES IT WILL BE READY IN
TIME FOR CHRISTMAS.
MEANWHILE,