Meeting London
Panda Paws Rescue will host a meet-and-greet from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, at the Sniff Dog Hotel, 1828 N.W. Raleigh St. in Portland, for people who want to meet London and get their picture taken with him.
Until recently, Panda Paws Rescue founder Amanda Giese didn’t know how the joints in London’s front legs were shattered. When the 6-month-old pit bull had his front legs amputated a few weeks ago, the fractures were a month old, said Dr. Bradon Sherman, veterinarian at the Vancouver-based Animal Care Clinic.
The puppy was believed to have fallen out of a second-story apartment window in Northern California before he was transferred to Giese’s in-home pet rescue organization. However, witnesses came forward with evidence, saying London’s previous owners broke London’s legs on purpose.
Zachary Hinton, 20, and Sarah Anderson, 20, were arrested Wednesday on two felony counts of animal cruelty. Both are in custody at Del Norte County Jail, with bail set at $35,000 for each. A continued arraignment date is set for Aug. 23.
“We had a hunch that it was abuse or neglect,” Giese said.
While Hinton and Anderson were being arrested in California, London was having his stitches removed in Vancouver. On Thursday, he started swim therapy in Giese’s pool to relieve the strain on his joints, strengthen his core muscles and help prevent future injury. During therapy, he’s fitted with a flotation device in front and is assisted in swimming around the pool. The exercise gets his muscles loose and prepped for massage therapy.
After Giese establishes his physical therapy regimen, London will be up for local adoption, most likely in mid-September. He’s still waiting on his front wheelchair, which is being constructed by Eddie’s Wheels for Pets of Maine and customized by MotoCorsa, a Portland-based Ducati dealership.
In the meantime, he’s playing with his best friend Lemon, a two-pound Chihuahua, and spending time socializing out of the house.
“He’s been getting a lot of adventuring in,” Giese said. “He’s been meeting a lot of people on the street that give him a sideways glance.”
The two-legged pit bull has gained a following of fans, who can meet him at the Sniff Dog Hotel in Portland on Sept. 1.
