The tiny Pomeranian mix clinging to life on a Delaware roadside in August may have had his luckiest day when Letter Carrier Laura Domnick found him and rushed him to an animal shelter.
But Skippy’s happiest day?
That’s undoubtedly when he met Anna Maria Buehler and Bob Gorman, the couple who has committed to caring for him for as long as he lives.
“He melted my heart,” said Buehler, a self-described “stay-at-home doggie mom.” She and Gorman opened their Elkton, MD, residence to 6-year-old Skippy after news spread of his abandonment, rescue and rehabilitation.
Upon seeing a video of Skippy posted online by Faithful Friends Animal Society, Buehler felt an instant connection. “He needs to go somewhere,” she thought. “I want to take care of him.”
Buehler calls Domnick a “godsend” for saving Skippy.
“He’s so lucky Laura found him,” she said.
Skippy now has five canine siblings: Pomeranians named Josie, Rosie and Tala; a Maltese named Sparky; and a 71-pound shepherd named Heidi.
“We have a six-pack,” Buehler said with a chuckle. “Heidi is so gentle playing with Skippy. He is so adorable, and he reminded me of Josie,” who — just like her new brother — has rebounded from temporary paralysis.
Skippy, once thought to be destined to rely on a wheelchair, is still getting the hang of using all four legs.
“He’s walking straighter now,” said Buehler, “and Bob is teaching him to use doggie stairs around the house.”
So far, Skippy has only managed to reach the first step.
But Buehler — and anyone who’s seen Skippy in action — has no doubt it’s an obstacle he’ll overcome.
“He’s an amazing little dog,” she said.