Guys… I’m a fucking sucker.

Meet my new foster pup, Archie! Archie is a special guy. He has cerebellar hypoplasia, or CH, a genetic disorder that causes him to be uncoordinated. Essentially, his cerebellar – the part of the brain responsible for movement and coordination – didn’t develop right.

This means, Archie can’t stand, walk, or.. really do anything on his own. When he’s out of his cart, Archie tends to fling himself around and flail all over the floor as he tries to stand. It’s dangerous and devastating to watch. But man, he fucking loves scooting around in his cart! He enjoys being on the farm, meeting new animal friends, and he’s always smiling.

Look at him go! He’s so happy scootin in his chair.

Archie is 7 months old, so he’s still got a lot of learning to do… WE have a lot of learning to do. He’s been with me for 2 days so far and we’re making a lot of progress together already. Prior to this, he was receiving less than stellar care. More or less left to fend for himself in a large padded pen.

This means, we have to learn all our commands and understand our limitations when we aren’t suited up in his wheelchair. I’m really happy to say, it’s coming along already. This morning, he’s been laying down calmly instead of throwing himself into the kitchen cabinets and floor. Archie has figured out how to eat and drink effectively from a safe place on the ground or in his crib. Archie is also doing a great job interacting with his “brother” Samson, a 100lb blind lab. (You can imagine the adorable complications)

So far, the shelter Archie came from hasn’t been very communicative or willing to provide extra care. He’s getting food donations and that’s about it. It’s been disappointing. But I’m hoping that we can come up with a home physical therapy routine to keep helping baby Archie learn how to use those legs. We could also use a lot of wheelchair upgrades and accessories, as it’s already damaged. I hope we can at least afford a consultation with a specialized physical therapist one day soon… and then find an affordable pool to start hydrotherapy!

And… picture time!

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If you want to follow Archie’s journey, you know I’m starting a twitter for him!

Find him @WheeliePup for daily updates.

And… you can always expect updates on all the TMFR social medias