Disabled dog gives hope over Web

By By Benjamin Smith

Friday, September 1, 2006

Cassie the three-legged mutt exchanges courtesy sniffs with other dogs in the park while her owners, Cynthia and Kurt Davis, look on with smiling eyes.

Cassie, who is 14 years old or 98 in dog years, lost her right front leg when she was less than a year old. She was chasing a frisbee into the street when she was hit by a van. But that hasn’t stopped her from having her own web site.

Photo by Ryan McGeeney

Cynthia Davis, senior administrator for KU Army ROTC, enjoys Lawrence's South Park with her dog, Cassie, who lost a leg when hit by a van in ttraffic. After adopting Cassie from the Humane Society, Davis started Cassie's Club, a website dedicated to s three-legged dogs.

During the last 10 years, www.cassiesclub.com has grown to include more than 250 dogs from around the nation and even the world, including Canada and Italy. These dogs suffer from some form of disability that deprives them of the use of one or more of their legs.

Cynthia and her husband, Kurt, adopted Cassie from the Lawrence Humane Society in 1996. Cassie, then 4 years old or 28 in dog years, had been kept for about six months while waiting for a home.

“I’d never seen a three-legged dog before,” said Cynthia, administrative associate senior with the KU Army ROTC. “So I started the Web site.”

Cynthia developed Cassie’s Club as a place where pet owners could share stories about their special friends.

The Davises love to tell stories about their beloved pet, whom they still occasionally take on excursions down Massachusetts Street and across the University of Kansas campus.

“She’s been swimming in the Chi Omega fountain,” Cynthia said. “We’re going to have to let her christen the new Docking fountain.”

The Davises have had a lot of fun with their dog, taking her out exploring the city, playing frisbee and even dressing her up on Halloween.

“One year we took her out dressed as Captain Hook,” Kurt said.

Though arthritis now affects Cassie’s left front paw, she still manages to go out occasionally with her owners. The Davises have even converted a baby carriage to accommodate her.

The Lawrence Humane Society has taken in about 2,000 animals since January, about half their yearly average. They have an 85 percent adoption rate.

Cynthia said that her experiences with Cassie have enlightened her.

“I suppose if I were to sum up my role in a nutshell I would say I’m mostly an interpreter,” Cynthia said. “Dogs don’t know English, so I’m the go-between.”

Cynthia said she viewed it as her mission to tell the world that dogs with disabilities are every bit as capable as their four-legged counterparts.

Kansan staff writer Ben Smith can be contacted at bsmith@kansan.com.

— Edited by Shanxi Upsdell

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