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Special dogs can go to
the Dag's House
April 24, 2008
If you had the opportunity to experience Dog Day Afternoon a few
weekends ago, you probably came away with treasured memories of a
beautiful day. One of the highlights for me was seeing Dagnabit, a
6-year-old pit bull terrier, take part in the dog walk.
There were hundreds of dogs taking part in events that day, but
Dagnabit's journey was all the more beautiful because the last time
I saw him he was walking with the aid of a wheelchair designed for
dogs.
Dagnabit, or Dag as he is affectionately known, is a handsome
tan-and-white pit bull with bright, loving eyes. After an injury to
his vertebrae, Dag had spinal surgery to repair ruptured discs.
Following that, he was unable to walk, had no muscle mass and was
unable to control his bodily functions.
Fortunately for Dag, his human companion Kim Dudek is a
rehabilitation counselor who combined her gifts and talents to meet
his needs. Dudek, the founder of Belladonna Day Spa, knows that
healing power is a triad of the physical, emotional and spiritual,
and she combined all three elements to help Dag. She pulled together
a team -- including a veterinarian acupuncturist, a canine massage
practitioner and a veterinarian specializing in chiropractic and
homeopathic medicine -- to help Dag with his recovery.
From this wonderfully creative idea to help Dag, Dudek and
veterinarian acupuncturist
Dr. Karen Graci realized that they wanted
to see other animals who are suffering from physical disabilities
benefit from the good work that Dag was receiving. They realized
there was no such facility in the New Orleans area, and thus the
idea of Dag's House was born.
Dag's House opened in late January and operates as a housing and
fitness center for special-needs dogs. It's located on 2.5 acres in
Marrero and provides round-the-clock care and therapy to its canine
residents. The center includes a canine hydrotherapy pool, agility
course, a fitness center and a boarding facility.
When you consider that many large-breed dogs face the risks of
problems such as hip dysplasia, arthritis and other physically
debilitating conditions, the type of work being done at a facility
like Dag's House is so important. With my own dog, Caesar, I've
witnessed first-hand the power of canine hydrotherapy, and to see
Dag as I did during Dog Day walking the 1.8 mile dog walk course, I
knew that we were all witnessing a miracle that, thanks to a special
place like
Dag's House,
is not out of anyone's reach.
-
Gloria Dauphin
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