Name: Kathy Wyer

Day job: Wyer is director of media relations for the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and director of the Sudikoff Family Institute for Education and New Media.

Foster mom to many: Over the course of her canine career, Wyer has fostered more than 25 rescue dogs, providing them with a temporary home and personal attention while they heal from illness or trauma and until permanent owners are found.

Wyer and Roofus, who's wearing his prosthetics. Photo courtesy of Lizette Gesuden

No. 1 pup: For more than a year, Wyer has been caring for Roofus, a golden retriever who was born blind and with shortened forelegs that never fully developed. He was found in a field in Long Beach, along with his blind brother, Kanga, in 2011. Wyer co-fosters Roofus with another volunteer, Elodie Lorenz. While Kanga was adopted by a family the year after the rescue, Roofus was boarded at a veterinary clinic for a full year because of his disabilities. “He was in dire need of a foster home,” recalled Wyer, who opens her home to Roofus on the weekends. “I pick him up Thursday evenings from Elodie’s house and return him Monday mornings, while she cares for him a few days during the week [while Wyer is at work]. It’s an ideal setup.”

Disabled but not defeated: “Roofus has problems with mobility, but they’re not as severe as one might expect,” Wyer said, noting that he has come up with creative ways to compensate for his disability. “He gets around fairly well by lifting himself up onto his front elbows and using them ‘combat-style’ to pull himself along,” she said. “He’s also gotten very good at standing up on his two hind legs and walking for very short distances, but that’s hard for him to sustain, given he’s a big dog and weighs 50 pounds.”

With a little help from his friends: Wyer and Lorenz raised money to buy Roofus specialized prosthetics that allow him to walk on all four legs. He’s able to wear them for only short periods of time, however, because the devices put uncomfortable pressure on his joints. He also has regular sessions with a physical therapist and does hydrotherapy to help him better cope with his disabilities. A regular at K9 Gym and Rehabilitation Center in Agoura Hills, Roofus swims for about 30 minutes in a heated saltwater pool, with help from a human swim coach. “This has done wonders to keep him healthy,” said Wyer, “and he’s built up a lot of strength.” Roofus, along with Wyer and Lorenz, will appear this April on the PBS nature program, “My Bionic Pet,” with other “equally amazing animals” who use prostheses.

Pooch on wheels: Roofus also learned how to use a custom-made, two-wheeled mobility cart so that his front legs and torso rest in the cart while his back legs do the walking. He also hitches rides in a low-rider stroller.” I take him out in his stroller, and he meets other dogs and the neighbors, all of which he really enjoys,” Wyer said. “He’s very sociable and friendly, and loves people, kids and other dogs.”

Celebrity pet: Wyer is excited about what this attention can mean for Roofus and other pets with special needs. “The visibility the program will provide for disabled animals will be very positive,” she said. “It would be so great if more people could learn what loving companions such animals can be, and how rewarding an experience it can be to care for one.”

A forever family for Roofus? Ultimately, Wyer said she hopes the PBS program will make clear that Roofus is “a wonderful dog — affectionate and sweet — and would make a wonderful companion for the right family,” she said. “I love him, but it would be great if we could find the perfect ‘forever’ home for him.”

________________________________________________________________________________

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.