Nearly 50 “tri-pawed dogs” took to Duboce Park Sunday for the 12th annual three-legged dog picnic, and we’ve got pup-arazzi pictures and video of these canines who’ve bounced back from some ruff encounters.
SFist has covered the annual Three-Legged Dog Picnic in Duboce Park before, but we’ve never seen a turnout like Sunday. All dogs are welcome at this annual meetup of tri-pawed pups, but this year saw 47 three-legged dogs attend the dog rally. These are their stories.
These dogs unleashed plenty of joy throughout Sunday afternoon, but the Three-Legged Dog Parade seen above was certainly a high point. “It is bigger than ever,” organizer Franny Corsick tells SFist.
While there were 47 three-legged dogs, there were many other dogs who also have their own dog-gone troubles. “We have three-legged dogs as well as other handicapable dogs,” Corsick tells us. “We have dogs with cones, casts, one eye, wheelchairs, blind, deaf, toothless, they’re all welcome to the picnic.”
The good dog Pirate (named as such because he’s missing an eye, and Sunday was his eighth birthday!) was the newest amputee of the bunch, having lost his leg just over a week ago. “He got bone cancer, he was diagnosed about six weeks ago,“ his companion Elizabeth Sendil says. “He’s participating in a vaccine trial, a cancer vaccine trial designed by Yale. It’s meant for humans but it applies to canines as well."
And check out this Pomeranian Gracie in her Hawaiian shirt! “She had a tumor, and they took it right off at the hip. And she’s going strong, she’s a survivor,” according to her human pal Sarah. “Lots of short walks, lots of scratches to be had.”
The picnic also threw a pet tricks exhibition. “Last year was the first year that they did tricks,” Trina Chow tells SFist. “My dog Wallace here has been going to canine circus school in Oakland for the last six years or so. He does a lot of tricks, he jumps through hoops, he balances balls of his nose, all kinds of fun stuff.”
Of the other tricks performed, Chow says “We saw some nice ones. There was lots of high-fives, there were some spins, there were some roll-overs. There was one dog who painted on an easel. He put a pen in his mouth and painted, that was very exciting and new.”
Admire the amazing running form of Miss Mabel. “I adopted her right after surgery. We just kept her moving,” her companion explains. "People don’t even realize she’s three-legged. Once someone came up to me in the park and said, ‘Your dog’s limping. Is there something wrong with her?’ I said, she’s only got three legs.”
Topsy here is not an actual shark attack victim, she's just pulling your leg. “When you have one of these dogs, people ask you all the time how it lost its leg,” her human Greta says. "Personally, I don't think it’s the most interesting thing about my dog. But you get asked all the time. So, shark attack survivor, or I’ll be like ‘She was a professional skier, accident on the slopes.’ Honestly, it’s a little bit insensitive, because a lot of tri-pod dogs lost the leg due to really aggressive cancer, it’s a very difficult, emotional decision for the owners, or they saw their dog get hit by a car.”
Yes, this pup Jerry Lee is taking care of business in an Elvis suit. “He’s a rescue dog from Soi Dog Foundation,” according to companion Toby. “It’s in Thailand, they rescue dogs from meat trade and street dogs. He was found wandering around with a badly mangled back leg. They think he was probably hit by a car.”
Winnie here was rolling on her adaptive device all day. “When Winnie was four, she ruptured a disc in her spine," her human Emily O’Dwyer tells SFist. “When we’re out of the house, she’s in her wheelchair which is custom-made by this company called Eddie’s Wheels. When she’s inside the house, she just kind of scoots around, she looks like a little harbor seal.”
Not all adaptive devices come with wheels, this pooch Diesel has a helpful harness. “It’s a Ruffwear harness, it’s one of those recommended for tripods because of the support,” according to Eldean Peterson, who fostered 11 dogs through the pandemic through the SF Animal Care & Control foster program. “I fostered him first and then we decided to stay together.”
Some of the adaptive devices more resembled dog shoes, like those being modeled above by Murphy. “He’s got a condition called immune mediated polyarthritis, and these are his custom orthotics from OrthoPets,” Murphy’s pal Jenny Anadon tells us. "They help to support his wrists, they’re basically collapsed wrists.”
Here we see Bam Bam, whose big smile lets you know he’s found the treat stash. “He's a new tripod, he was amputated in March, but he’s cancer-free now,” says Bam Bam’s buddy Michelle. “Putting my dog down would have been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.” But the SF Animal Medical Center has the full story of Bam Bam’s inspiring recovery.
The Three-Legged Dog Picnic just keeps growing and growing, but now has bigger goals in mind. “We would like to make the world’s record for the most three-legged dogs in one location,” the organizer Corsick tells us. “We need to hit 76, but we’re going to go for 100.”
Images: Joe Kukura, SFist
