Tripod
Cowboy and Tess met Tripod this morning, the three-legged dog rescued by San Pedro businessman Herb Zimmer several years ago.
Tripod was a puppy when Zimmer came upon her being teased by a group of kids in Banning Park in Wilmington. He and his wife, Arlene, have long been active in community causes -- and they have a special heart for animals.
Tripod is something of a mascot at Herb's business, Priority One Printing at 350 W. Fifth St. in San Pedro, accompanying his master to work every day.
After I'd picked up some information I needed for a story early this morning at Herb's shop, I snapped these pictures of Tripod as I left. Cowboy and Tess got to come inside and the three got along pretty well -- except when Tripod tried to come on to Cowboy, that is. Cowboy found Tripod quite fetching as well, but it all brought out the snippiness in Tess, who considers Cowboy to be "her" guy, after all.
Stop in and say hi to Tripod if you need some printing work done -- or even if you don't. She's a very special pooch.
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About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
Oooohhh Tripod is the BEST. I make copies there all the time and I love saying hello to her. She is such a sweet dog. Everyone at the shop is actually really really really friendly and helpful.
Tripod is such a great dog. Tess wasn't too fond of her, tho. :-) She was soooo jealous.
Just curious if Tripod is missing a front or back leg, also how large is he?
It's hard to make a decision to amputate a dog's leg and when you find success stories like this obviously is I want to know if such things might be factors in that success. Have had two dogs in my neighborhood who's owners were facing the decision due to cancerous growths and want to know as much as possible "if ever" we find ourselves in similar situations. Things change so quickly in veterinary treatments, what I would never do twenty years ago is now very feasible due to success stories just like Tripod paving the way.
Tripod is missing her (she's a she) back left leg, if I remember correctly. When Herb found her, she was still quite young but the back leg was not usable. Herb took her to several vets, hoping to see if the leg could be saved, but after getting several opinions they concluded that amputation was the best way to go.
I do know that they watch her weight carefully and take her for acupuncture sessions. I'll make sure the owners know about the post, maybe they can fill us in a bit more.
Thank you Donna, and next time you see Tripod's owners tell them how much myself and others get out of hearing their story. Their soft hearts and willingness to give of themselves brought about a true ambassador in Tripod. Dogs at workplaces can cement loyal customers and help forge strong business relationships.
Give a dog a job.....
Hi 3Dogs2Arms!
I would say that any otherwise healthy dog can live a very full life with only three legs. Tripod proves that to us every day. She's a Lab/Ridgeback mix and weighs 64 lbs. She has been on a strict diet of low fat dry dog food since she was a puppy. She is now 9-1/2 years old and has developed arthritis in the one hind leg, so she's on Rimadyl, Tramadol, high potency glucosamin/condroitin, daily vitamins and goes for accupuncture once a month. This combination has been keeping her going very well. We live in a two-story house and she still goes up and down the 14 steps several times a day. You're welcome to e-mail any other questions to priority1@mac.com.