24 March 2023 , 08:00
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A football-loving miniature schnauzer has learned to kick a ball despite having a paw amputated. Vets had warned Freddie's owner, Bob Boyle, that his beloved pooch might die after they discovered a tumour in his forefoot.
His only hope was to have the limb partially amputated. Incredibly, just weeks after surgery at Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hertfordshire, Freddie was back on all fours after being fitted with a high-tech prosthetic paw.
In one of the first procedures of its kind in the UK, vets strapped the prosthetic around the elbow joint of Freddie's leg. Bob then had to work with Freddie to make sure he followed through with intensive physiotherapy sessions.
He was fitted with an incredible prosthetic paw in one of the UK's first ops of its kind (DAILY MIRROR)He was thrilled to see that despite some initial wariness, Freddie soon learnt to adjust to his new leg.
Bob, 70, of St Neots, in Cambridgeshire, said: "We first thought Freddie had either jarred his paw or that a grass seed had worked its way in.
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"When we learnt what was wrong, we were incredibly shocked and concerned as Freddie is very sociable and confident with other dogs and people, so we were worried about the effect this would have on him.
"However, following the successful operation and after just four to five weeks of using the prosthetic he was walking, trotting and running around on his walks. He even now loves to punt around a football."
Daily Mirror's Pet ClubDiane Messum, head of physiotherapy at Davies, said: "Freddie has been the perfect patient from the very first day.
"The surgical wound needed time to heal before Freddie returned for his limb casting, from which the prosthesis would be made, and for which he stayed perfectly still.
"Freddie may not have liked it when the prosthesis was initially applied or removed, but after lots of reassurance and treats, he now associates it with a limb that can give him the freedom to explore with his sister, Gertie.
"He has learnt to walk and trot again similarly to how he walked prior to his amputation and his skills now even include football."
Pet pic
Harleigh gave her owner Sofie a sense of purpose after her devastating lorry crash (DAILY MIRROR)This is Harleigh, who helped turn her owner's life around following a horrifying road accident.
Sofie Hawkins, 25, was knocked off her motorbike and suffered severe injuries - including seven broken ribs and a punctured lung and had to quit her job as a lorry driver.
She was struggling to cope, until a psychologist recommended an emotional support dog, and she found pup Harleigh.
Now 18 months old, the chihuahua and miniature pinscher cross has attended all of Sofie's hospital, physio and counselling appointments during her recovery.
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Sofie said after the crash left her not wanting "to be here anymore", Harleigh gave her back a sense of purpose and the motivation to get up every morning.
Story of the week
Bus driver Martine gave the lost sheep a quick lift home to the local farm (DAILY MIRROR)A bus driver welcomed an unusual passenger on board after she spotted a runaway sheep wandering in the road.
Martine Patey was driving along the A27 near Eastbourne, East Sussex when she saw a 'flash of white' dart out - causing havoc among passing cars.
The animal lover pulled over, put on her high-vis jacket and tried to wrangle the sheep to safety.
She said: "The sheep was running all over the road. It was difficult to catch, but then it slipped just in front of me and I was able to get hold of it and use my handbag strap like a lasso.
"Two other motorists had stopped to help and together we were able to hold onto it until the police arrived."
The sheep then had a quick trip on the bus after the police asked Martine to take it back to a local farm.
Martine was then able to complete her journey to Eastbourne, and despite the detour, only arrived one minute late.
Wow!
Bugsy the cat was reunited with his family seven years after he went missing from home (DAILY MIRROR)When Bugsy the cat went missing from home in Weston-Super-Mare, his owner Christine Holland was devastated.
After desperately searching for him, Christine and her family assumed the worst, and moved to France a few years later with their three other cats.
Seven years after Bugsy disappeared, Christine was stunned to get a call from the RSPCA to say he had been found safe and well.
The RSPCA, who had tracked the family down through details on Bugsy's microchip shared the heartwarming story to celebrate new compulsory cat microchipping laws for England.
Christine said: "We were shocked to say the least, thinking the worst had happened, and had given up all hope of ever finding him. We would never have got him back if we hadn't had him microchipped as a kitten."
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