Puppy with Missing Leg Adopted by Amputee Veteran: 'It's Impossible to Not Smile Around Him'
A military veteran from Tennessee who lost his leg after an IED explosion found a new best friend after adopting a dog with a missing leg.
Joshua Ferguson took home three-legged Scooter on Thursday, after adopting the pup from the Humane Society of Dickson County in Dickson, according to WTVF in Nashville.
“He makes it easier for me to remember, hey it’s still a beautiful day,” Ferguson said Scooter. “You realize really just how tremendous a journey life is.”
Scooter was discovered with a severed leg in a wooded area at Johnson Creek near Burns, Tennessee, in June, with veterinarians believing the dog got his leg stuck and was forced to gnaw it off in order to free himself and find food, WTVF reported.
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The dog’s mangled leg was eventually amputated at the Animal Medical Hospital.
“It’s impossible to not smile around him,” Ferguson said. “Everybody’s so happy to see him, then they notice he’s got 3 legs. He’s happy you were overjoyed to see him, don’t pity him!”
A puppy found by fishermen with a missing leg, has been adopted by a veteran who is also an amputee. https://t.co/BM8KWOfEBc
— FOX31 Denver KDVR (@KDVR) August 1, 2019
Ferguson told the news outlet that he and four other soldiers were in a truck when it drove over an improvised explosive device, and although none of the five died, he ended up losing his leg in the ensuing explosion.
Not one to complain, the military veteran added, “There’s silver linings to anything, you can find something, and even if you can’t, somebody’s had it worse! So stop complaining.”
