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A dog with only two legs that has overcome her disability has been made an honorary sergeant by the United States army for her inspiration to war veterans.
Faith, a Labrador/chow mix, has become the darling of hospitals for disabled veterans and military bases, where she dons an army jacket and marches on her rear legs.
Her owner has posted many videos of her running around public parks on video sharing website YouTube, and these have attracted over a quarter of a million views. Now, the brave dog is soon to make a splash in the UK, where she will be meeting British soldiers who suffered wounds in Afghanistan.
Jude Stringfellow, who lives in Oklahoma City with her son Reuben, owns Faith and is looking forward to their trip to the United Kingdom. She said:
“Faith seems to inspire these young men. It's very emotional watching them respond to her:
“She shows what can be achieved against the odds. I'd love her to bring a smile to the lips of British soldiers.”
Faith was born without one front leg, and had to have her other surgically removed as it was deformed. Her mother rejected her as a pup, and after Reuben found her, they brought her up.
The pair had to move Faith around for several months at first, but soon trained her to walk on her hind legs by luring her with peanut butter. She now moves confidently and is a celebrity, with regular fixtures on talk shows in the US.
Although Faith’s initial surgery proved to be expensive, the family has since taken out dog insurance in advance of her UK debut. Ms Stringfellow was inspired to take Faith to soldier’s hospitals by her son, who served in Iraq, and stated:
“She just walks around barking and laughing and excited to see them all.
“There is a lot of crying, pointing and surprise. From those who have lost friends or limbs, there can be silence. Some will shake my hand and thank me; some will pat her on the head. There is a lot of quiet, heartfelt, really deep emotion.”
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