A seven-week-old puppy has been working out at a people’s gym in order to gain strength.
The bulldog mix named Goldie was rescued by Good Karma Pet Rescue and taken in by April Lowe after being severely abused. Almost two weeks ago, she was found at a park in Broward County, starved, covered in feces and scabs, and with a mutilated tail.
“I’ve been fostering with Good Karma for about a year and almost always have a foster puppy in my house," Lowe said. "I had just adopted my last puppy like a week and a half prior and I have a heart for bull mixes, so I think the rescue knew so when they saw her, they automatically called me."
Lowe wants to do more than just provide a temporary home for Goldie. When she consulted with several veterinarians, they were at a loss regarding what they could do for the puppy in order to help her physical rehabilitation. Lowe says, based on their expertise, it seems the dog had been kept in a cage for her whole life, which caused her to have no muscle strength.
This is why the foster mom, who is also a competitive cross-trainer, brings the puppy to physical therapy sessions with Dr. Kyle Krupa.
“First time doing physical therapy for a dog. It’s been pretty exciting up to this point," Dr. Krupa said. "I’m just hoping that my knowledge in what I’ve learned and use with humans, I can apply it to the dog."
Goldie, who just days ago, could not stand or roll over, is making progress. Lowe says she’s put into practice some of her skills and knowledge from cross training while she encourages the pup to exercise in her Coral Springs home. Krupa sees the dog once per week to check her progress and continue building muscle.
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“Right now, we’re just trying to figure out how much weight she’s going to be able to bear over time, so it’s gonna be a process,” said the physical therapist.
Lowe says she’s big on adopting rescue pets versus buying animals from breeders. She hopes Goldie will inspire just that.
“My biggest hope, with her story, is that people will really explore rescue first,” Lowe said.
For more information about how you can adopt Goldie as a forever family, contact Good Karma Pet Rescue.
