For the Love of Tripawds

2022 Tripawds Calendar Girl, Heidi. photo: courtesy of Tripawds

Inspirational videos of dogs loving life on three legs are enough to make anyone smile. They’re fun to watch and show how even something as traumatic as amputation can’t slow down our furry friends. 

But many people still feel sorry for these resilient heroes. What they don’t understand is that amputation is sometimes the best option to ensure quality of life after an accident, cancer, or other life-threatening limb injuries. It’s certainly better than the alternative. And hey, they still have one more leg than we do.

At Tripawds, we celebrate three-legged dogs, cats, and even the occasional pet rat. Our goal is to help pet parents cope with amputation for their beloved animal before, during, and after surgery. We provide free resources and programs that educate pet parents about what to expect after amputation surgery and how to keep their animal friend strong and injury free for life.

The Tripawds Foundation has one simple goal: to help amputee pets and their people everywhere. We do this with an online support community featuring 1800+ three-legged dog and cat blogs, discussion forums, live chats, articles, videos, and more. We also offer assistance programs including a toll-free helpline, free rehab with a certified therapist, and veterinary financial aid to help pay for amputation surgery. To address the needs of rescue animals requiring amputation, we also created the Tripawds Rescue Fund.

The Tripawd Rescue Problem

Every year, many animals enter the rescue system in need of a limb amputation because of accident, injury, neglect, or other reasons. Amputation isn’t cheap, and these financially stressed organizations often find it tough to pay for needed surgeries. Some dogs and cats may be helped if funds are quickly raised through crowd-funding and social media campaigns. But many will remain untreated for extended periods of time. Lack of funding and limited shelter space often cause many of these animals to be euthanized.

Enter the Tripawds Foundation. Thanks to our donors, nonprofit shelters and rescue organizations can receive a matching grant to help cover the costs of amputation surgery for animals in their care. Twice a month, the Tripawds Rescue Fund is able to immediately contribute $500 in matching funds to help pay for amputation surgery needed by dogs or cats in the shelter system. All an organization has to do is show they are actively fundraising for a specific dog or cat requiring limb amputation. 

The application process is quick and easy. Rescue groups simply complete a short form, submit the surgery estimate or invoice, and provide a link to their online fundraiser for the animal in question. Tripawds then shares that fundraiser link with our thousands of followers on social media. The matching grant incentivizes donors to give more, and so far every organization we’ve worked with has quickly reached its $500 fundraising goal. The Tripawds Foundation then disperses its matching funds the same day and the animals get the urgent care they need.

Spreading the Love with Tripawd Awareness

Rescues aren’t the only way Tripawds is improving the lives of amputee animals. We also help new Tripawd parents by educating them about health and fitness for dogs and cats on three legs. Our community is here to let folks know that life after amputation doesn’t have to be worse than before surgery. It’s just different. Our articles, podcast interviews with veterinary experts, and other resources at tripawds.com all help pets and their humans adapt to their new normal. And to help pet parents learn about their dog or cat’s specific fitness needs, the Tripawds Foundation also offers grants to pay for their first rehabilitation therapy consultation for any new Tripawd.

Now we’re gearing up to reach more Tripawds than ever with the first official Tripawd Awareness Day. Slated for March 3 (3/3 - get it?), this new campaign is designed to spread awareness about the best Tripawd recovery and care practices. Tripawd Awareness Day will celebrate and educate the public about three-legged pets, and we’ve made it fun and simple for all pet parents to get involved at triday.pet.

Please join us in celebrating life on three legs. Share news about the Tripawds Rescue Fund with your local shelters and foster programs. Help promote responsible care for three-legged dogs and cats on Tripawd Awareness Day. Together we can continue to help amputee pets and their people everywhere!