When Gayle Ellias learned she wanted to adopt a sixth dog, she put her heart into a Golden Retriever. She wanted a dog she could train as a therapy dog, and she thought the popular breed would be her best bet. But when she saw an adorable Alaskan Malamute rescued from the dog meat trade, he stole her heart.
Ichabod is not an easy dog to raise, but Ellias is willing to go through any hoops to bring him home. He has a disability and a difficult past, but his attitude remains positive despite it all. Now, he is helping others like a therapy dog.
Rescue dog steals heart
While looking for a dog, Ellias came across it No dog is left behind, a non-profit animal rescue organization dedicated to saving dogs from the Asian meat trade. The organization has sanctuaries in Asia where the dogs can stay until they find someone to adopt them. Immediately, Ellias knew that was where she wanted to adopt.
But her plan to choose the Golden Retriever changed when she saw Ichabod. He was a 90-pound fluffball that she knew he was part of her family. Ichabod was in a truck with 100 other dogs, headed for a slaughterhouse in East Asia. If the rescue hadn’t caught the dogs, Ichabod wouldn’t be alive today.
However, Ichabod has a few health concerns that make it difficult for him to walk. He was diagnosed with the patient’s displacement, meaning his knee was not in the correct position. However, surgery is not recommended as it could cause him to completely lose mobility in his hind legs.
Journey to Happiness
At that time, the COVID-19 pandemic had just begun in the United States, so rescue had to wait for more dogs to arrive to safety. At first, the rescue team was concerned that Ichabod’s disability might prevent him from boarding the next flight, but because he didn’t need any formalities, he was approved to fly.
It took almost a year to wait, but in the end, Ichabod was able to go to New York with 20 other dogs. Seeing all those dogs get off the plane and head to their new lives brought tears to Ellias’s eyes. Ellias immediately fell in love with Ichabod’s personality, and the puppy was eager to meet his five canine siblings: Ace, Ixy, Fanny, Zuri, and Hoobly.
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Ichabod is energetic and friendly despite past health problems and injuries. Ellias says he walks in “permanent squat yoga”. She bought him a wheelchair, but he was not interested in using it.
Ichabod The Therapy Dog!
Although Ichabod was far from the therapy dog Ellias had in mind, she still wanted to be certified for him. He is friendly with everyone, even children, so she started training him through Therapy Dog Alliance. Now, at 5 years old, he is a certified therapy dog helping to improve the lives of others.
Ichabod specializes in comforting children with special needs or trauma because he has personal experience. One of the reasons he’s so great with kids is because he just sits still and wags his tail while they cuddle.
“He was very good at reading to children,” says Ellias. “He is very calm and if someone gets agitated, he stays calm. Children make noises or move quickly and gestures and it doesn’t confuse them. His aura is really tough.”
Ellias hopes Ichabod can teach others that disability and traumatic events don’t have to define you. Ichabod is proof that things can get better, so he will continue to spread positivity as his therapy dog.
Featured pictures: Instagram
