My story

　　Let's find Marie a home! Dont let this girls special gifts fool you, she is learning to bunny hop walk to get to where she wants to be. Marie doesnt let her challenges prevent her from being a typical GSD. She likes to play, wrestle, chew and have a good time. Marie and her sibling, Donny, were in a shelter with little chance of adoption when Saving Paws stepped in to save them. Both have been diagnosed with Bilateral Straight Leg. The condition affects both hind limbs that do not allow the joints to flex in a way that is needed to have a normal gait.Marie can be a little timid with new people but she is working on meeting people all the time and realizing they are good to be with. Marie needs to be in a home with another dog as that gives her so much confidence. Slow introduction with other dogs is the best for this girl, which is not uncommon for a dog with special needs. She will bond with her new doggy friend if given the change and time. Marie needs a house with other active dogs. She uses her wheels occasionally, but does not need them. The majority of the time she walks on all 4's using both back legs as one, (bunny hop), and she is fast! Her fosters say the "can't catch her when she runs anymore". Marie is still pretty petite at 43 pounds and we don't expect her to get too much bigger which for her legs, adopters need to be committed to maintaining healthy weight. Her adoptive home will be best to have a lot of carpet or flooring with good traction. Non-skid rugs or Yoga mats work amazing to help her move around. Marie has been working with a swimming rehabilitation therapist to build her core strength to better help her ambulate, so a home with a pool that she can continue her progress will be perfect. We are looking for a home that is willing to help her continue on her path to independent mobility while looking at her as just another GSD that needs training, love and exercise. Special gifts: Bilateral Straight Legs ( hind legs); requires wheelchair for long walks, but walks without most of the other time. Must be in a home with other fun loving balanced dog(s) (or a very special home willing to adopt both Donny and Marie together If you think you are a perfect home for Marie and live in the Phoenix metro area, please complete our online application to get the approval process started. We will only schedule a meet & greet with an approved application! Here is the link: http://savingpawsrescueaz.com/adoption-form/All team members are volunteers and are not compensated for their time and expenses. Please be patient as sometimes it takes a couple of days to process an application.