Disabled animals are often treated with compassion, but a man from Tennessee wants to change our attitude.
Joshua Ferguson, an Iraq veteran who lost both legs in an accident, went crazy for the adorable three-legged dog when he got a call to adopt it. He knew they probably had a lot in common, so he got involved in the adoption process right away, and now he's going to share his story with all of us.
Scooter, the three-legged dog, didn't get off to a smooth start in life.
He was found mortally wounded by a Tennessee fisherman near a creek. The fisherman saw that poor Scooter was in need of emergency treatment and took him straight to the vet, but unfortunately they made the choice that might require the amputation of one of his legs.
Happily, Scooter made a full recovery and quickly adapted to moving on without a fourth leg.
He is currently living a happy life with his owner, Joshua, who said he and Scooter get along very well. Speaking about empathy for people with disabilities, Joshua said:
"Everybody was so happy to recognize him, and then they realized he had three legs, and they started sympathizing with him." Talking to the men, he added: "You guys are so happy, so happy to have recognized him. (So ) don't pity him."
As a veteran and amputee, Joshua will likely have to experience these reactions first-hand, so it's no wonder people sympathize with Scooter for him. The brave veteran was serving in Iraq during the Gulf War when he lost his leg in an attack. Apparently, that's why when he discovered Scooter's story on the Dickson County Humane Society Facebook page, he knew he had to please this powerful friend.
Joshua had some words of encouragement for anyone who might be struggling. He advises people to always focus on excellence and trust that others may have it harder than they do.
"Everything has a bright side," he said. "You might find something — and even if you don't, someone has something worse, so stop complaining."
These are wise words to measure! We want Scooter and Joshua to have a positive attitude - despite having three legs, Scooter is just as happy as any other dog and won't let his disability get in the way of living his most fulfilling life.
Since the adoption process, the couple now spends their days exploring local parks, practicing yoga and playing together. When difficult times and painful memories surfaced, Joshua said Scooter reminded him to look at the long term, not the past.
Joshua concluded: "I can easily recall that it was still a good day.
Inside Edition shared a video of Scooter's life with Joshua to YouTube, which garnered 155,000 views and 3.1k likes, making Scooter an online celebrity. This couple is such an idea and we hope to identify more of them in the future! Watch the adorable video below.
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