Mickey

Mickey (founder and owner of the Padded Bum Crew):

MICKEY was our first special needs baby. We had lost our beautiful English Bulldog, Tubby, four months prior and were ready to rescue another baby. We had always adopted seniors or harder to place bulldogs, but somehow or another, Mickey’s profile touched our hearts. He was everything we were NOT looking for. He was a puppy (no puppies!). He was special needs (we didn’t have a clue how to care for a special needs baby), and he was out of our adoption area. There seemed to be so many reasons why NOT to consider Mickey, except that he had stolen our hearts through his story and his pictures...so we reached out to Mickey’s foster mom. After researching Spina Bifida, we were ready to welcome him to our home and he became part of our family on 6/30/12. Months after adopting Mickey, we found out he was born on the same day we had lost our sweet Tubby. He was truly meant to be ours.

Mickey was born with Spina Bifida which is a birth defect that affects the formation of the spine. This malformation renders him incontinent. Additionally, his back legs fused in a hyper-extended position. As a puppy, Mickey’s legs splayed out to the sides. For this first year, we hobbled his legs to help his hip bones/legs form correctly. He was hobbled one day on, one day off. During that time, Mickey got around by carrying his weight with his front end. This essentially helped him build his upper body strength. At the age of 1, Mickey became the proud owner of his first wheelchair from Eddies Wheels. He took to it so quickly and learned he could be a little speed demon once he was strapped in. He is FAST!

Caring for a special needs animal was a bit intimidating.....but over time, we realized it is just different, not harder or more difficult, just different.  We learned how to diaper him and over time we have learned how to supplement his care, to ensure that we avoid health issues that arise with having a diaper baby. He’s a strong boy, mentally, physically and emotionally. He’s taught us not only how to care for a special needs baby, but also a lot about life. He lives in the moment, not realizing he’s special needs or different. He wakes up every morning and truly lives life. Although he’s our baby, he’s been our teacher.

Mickey’s favorite things: Running in his cart, chasing tennis balls, the sun on his back, treats and of course his comfy bed.