Panda Paws Rescue is a Vancouver-based nonprofit rescue specializing in major medical, special needs and hospice care for dogs. For more on Duncan, the rescue’s work and its animals, check out the website, www.pandapawsrescue.org, and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/PandaPawsRescue501c3.
Duncan Lou Who’s celebrity continues to grow.
The two-legged boxer stole hearts across the country after a video of the dog playing on the beach went viral earlier this year.
This week, Duncan and his humans, Amanda Giese and Gary Walters of Felida, flew to Los Angeles to tape an appearance on “The Queen Latifah Show.” The episode is scheduled to broadcast at 8 a.m. Monday on KPDX (PDX TV), which is Channel 13 on Comcast.
In a brief video preview for the upcoming show, Duncan is introduced as “a dog that will inspire you to never give up” as video rolls of the playful pup on the beach. Then Duncan, wearing a royal blue bow tie, walks onto the stage with Giese and Walters as members of the audience wipe tears from their eyes.
Giese and Walters run a nonprofit animal rescue organization, Panda Paws Rescue, from their home. They regularly post photos and videos of their dogs and the visiting animals on the rescue’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
While other videos of Duncan have garnered attention, nothing compares to the two-minute beach video, which now has more than 5 million views. The video made headlines across the U.S. — including stories on CNN and the “Today” show — and beyond, including Spain, Australia and the U.K.
In the video, the 9-month-old puppy runs on the beach, plays with the other dogs, jumps at the camera lens, chases a stick and finishes with a handstand, hoisting his rear end into the air to avoid the ocean waves.
Duncan was born with severely deformed rear legs. They had fused into a rock-hard “X” shape. His pelvis wasn’t properly formed either, and the dead weight he was carrying from his rear legs was further contorting his pelvis.
Panda Paws Rescue — which specializes in major medical, special needs and hospice care — took in Duncan when he was 3 months old and had his rear legs amputated.
After the surgeries, they had a couple of different wheelchairs specially made for Duncan, but he hated them all.
So Giese and Walters let Duncan walk and run as he was born to — on two legs.
