A little about me...
Pudge was adopted from HSNCF in July 2019, but one month prior to this her rear right limb was amputated as it had deformed due to chronic, severe neglect and malnutrition. When Pudge first became a part of our family she was extremely weak and highly reactive, but also incredibly silly, energetic, and as sweet as can be if she was alone with you in a minimally stimulating environment. On the day that I met and adopted her (because after meeting her I could not imagine leaving without her) I recall seeing her react with outrageous excitement when one of her favorite humane society team members entered the room. I knew in that moment she was a good-natured sweetie who had simply been dealt a bad hand in life. Pudge's road to recovery was challenging given how weak, under-socialized, and traumatized she was from her past. It took Pudge 9 full months post-amputation to build basic strength and stability with daily movement as well as build trust in other people, dogs, and the world in general. Nowadays, two years post-amputation and adoption and thanks to consistent rehab efforts, Pudge is as strong as ever (keeping up with her puppy pitbull rescue sister!) and behaviorally much more "normal," though still her silly, sweet true self. Pudge's life is THE definition of a comeback story--one that I would not be telling if not for the Humane Society of North Central Florida. For this reason, I believe in Pudge as a "Spokesdog."