Boogie Shoes was turned into the shelter at 8 weeks old. The woman who dropped him off claimed to have found him in a supermarket’s parking lot in 110 degree heat in Palm Springs, California. While that may be true, the region is also known for back yard breeders, which lead the staff at Palm Spring Animal Shelter to believe Boogie’s health problems were a result of poor genetics.
The shelter is a no-kill facility and does its best to re-home special needs dogs, and it soon became clear that Boogie was one.
That’s because the cute puppy always seemed to be dancing. But the reality was far from it. It was clear to the doctors that he had an unknown neurological condition. Boogie was put on foster watch immediately with a woman named Alicia.
Alicia took Boogie to the neurologist who confirmed their fears. Boogie had cerebellar hypoplasia, a neurological condition in which the cerebellum or part of the brain did not fully develop in-utero. This condition could have been caused by genetics, a virus or malnutrition. The condition reveals itself at about six weeks of age and is permanent.
While Boogie is otherwise a healthy pup, he will always have physical limitations. He can’t walk on a leash, play catch or climb stairs.
But despite the sad news, and despite his limitations, Boogie soon became the “boss of the house” in Alicia’s home and became a foster failure, finding his way into the hearts of Alicia’s family! He’s now a much-loved member of her family.
