Charlie
Handicapped, the very word conjures up images of physical limitations. Not so anymore, as there are many having handicaps accomplishing feats that others only dream of. This brings us to a dog named Charlie who is said to be handicapped, but is he?
Charlie is a golden lab who resides in Sutter Creek. As I drove up to the house on the side of the hill Charlie came running down to greet me. I didn’t notice a thing out of the ordinary about Charlie. He is a very happy, friendly dog. After being greeted by Charlie it was obvious to me that this is a dog loved and certainly well cared for by his owners Gail Schifsky and Alan Vosburgh. It seemed as if instinctively Charlie knew he was going to be the topic of our conversation.
So what is different about Charlie? He looks like a lab, walks like a lab and does everything a Lab does so what makes him special? Well Charlie is Handicapped. That is to say he has only three legs. His right rear leg is missing. Gail and Alan told me that Charlie came to them by way of adoption via Jackson Creek Veterinary Clinic. The whole staff wanted to get Charlie adopted.
In March 2005 five month old Charlie had jumped/fallen out of a moving pickup and had broken his leg in so many spots that it was unable to be put back together. That also meant he could not be fitted for a prosthesis either. So the only option was to amputate the leg. If that meant he was going to have limitations no one told Charlie.
Gail happened to take her cat to the Vet one day and the staff knew that Charlie needed a good home. The staff also knew that Gail and Alan had owned a Lab previously and Charlie would make an ideal pet for them. Gail immediately said yes but had to get approval from Alan so she drove back to Sutter Creek and brought Alan up to the clinic to meet Charlie. It was love at first sight. Charlie had warmed Gail and Alan’s hearts to the point where he had a home for life.
Charlie quickly adjusted to life at Gail and Alan’s. The fact that most of their yard is on a hill meant nothing to Charlie. Once home he ran around the yard chasing a Frisbee and his Kong. He loves to play. One thing Dr. Bob explained to the couple is most of the weight a dog carries is on their front legs which allowed Charlie to adjust easily to running on three legs.
Charlie and the local deer have made a pact that he won’t chase them and they don’t eat his food. In fact the only animals that Charlie chases are cats running from him. If a cat stands his ground, Charlie just goes up and noses it to say “hi” then returns to what he was doing.
In 2012 with Charlie turning seven he has slowed down a bit but loves to lay in the yard soaking up the rays and in the house next to a warm fire. The day I was there he never stopped smiling and was really happy to be near us as we talked. Gail explained that Charlie thinks he’s more human than dog. He loves to be around people and it showed the day I was there. He was never more than a few feet from us as we chatted on the deck.
Charlie is somewhat of a legend these days around Sutter Creek. Mention a three legged dog and they all know you are talking about Charlie who lives up on the hill. In fact Alan believes more people in Sutter Creek know Charlie by name than himself. If Charlie’s handicapped it’s only by people’s thoughts not his physical disability.
