A three-legged dog who has a remarkably inspiring story has received a special award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) – presented by Queen guitarist Brian May.
The award ceremony took place on 23 October, with Baroness Gale hosting the event, at the House of Lords where Haatchi collected his prestigious Animal of the Year award.
The Anatolian Shepherd dog suffered horrendous injuries when a former owner tied it to a railway line and, after the accident, Haatchi had to have its tail and rear leg.
The inspirational dog found it hard to find a new home but found homage with Colleen Drummond and fiancé Will Howkins – who introduced Haatchi to their son and partner in crime, Owen.
Haatchi has now been retrained as a Pets as Therapy dog and has helped Owen, who suffers from a rare genetic condition called Schwartz-Jampel syndrome which causes his muscles to remain constantly tense – so one-year-old Haatchi’s presence alone has made a big impact on Owen’s life.
“Haatchi has made such a difference to Owen’s life it can’t be put into words,” said Colleen Drummond, 41. “We wanted to pass this on to others too rather than take it for granted and this is why we decided to train him as a Pets as Therapy dog.”
This is the second award (https://www.petgazette.biz/index.php/industry-news/events/716-give-your-dog-a-bone-2012-winners-announced.html) Haatchi has received, after collecting the Give Your Dog a Bone accolade earlier this year.
Director of IFAW Robbie Marsland said: “When we heard Haatchi’s amazing story of survival and the very special relationship he has with Owen we knew he had to be our IFAW Animal of the Year.”
