B.C. agility dog with 3 legs wins national award
Although Fisher is partial to just laying about cuddling the cat, the dog’s determination is proving to be boundless.
“He waits until you close the door [to go outside],” his owner, Erin, says. “And then it’s all fair game.”
Like the time Erin came home to find that Fisher had climbed up on the counter and chewed through 10 tins of the cat’s food and devoured everything inside.
“Fisher lives his life with no regrets; 100 per cent would do it again,” Erin smiles. “That’s how he rolls.”
The canine first demonstrated his carpe diem demeanour when he was young, when despite losing a toe to cancer surgery, he developed a passion for competing in agility courses.
“He's just a goofy dog,” Erin says, showing me videos of Fisher running up ramps, scrambling through tunnels, and jumping over bars. “He’s having fun.”
But then Erin discovered that the cancer had spread and Fisher’s only option was amputating one of his front legs.
“It’s tough,” Erin signs deeply. “Realizing that everything we hoped was going to be OK wasn’t.”
Although the surgery was a success, Fisher struggled to find stability, both physically and emotionally. So after he healed, Erin wondered if a return to agility might re-ignite his spark.
“When he saw the tunnel, he was like, ‘I used to really like those!’” Erin says, showing me video of the three-legged Fisher’s tail wagging before entering the tunnel. “And he’s been running around ever since.”
Despite missing a leg, Fisher is finding his joy, and regaining his agility ability.
“I’m still in awe of what he can do and how happy he is,” Erin smiles.
But the fact is Fisher with three legs is not as good at competitive agility as when he had four. Turns out, he’s even better.
“He came first [in Canada],” Erin says, showing me a photo of Fisher with his trophy, the golden cup standing where his leg used to be. “It was an exceptional day!”
When he’s not taking home national hardware, Fisher spends his time taking part in local Terry Fox runs and playing patient at kindergarten veterinarian days.
Erin says Fisher is also offering a lesson for us all.
“If it brings joy in your heart, then give it a go, even if you’re not perfect.”
Because obstacles (whether they be cat-food cans or canine agility courses) are simply opportunities to overcome. Or in Fisher’s case, soar beyond.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.