Abel, the fortuitously-named dog, whose prosthetic leg made him more than capable in the hunt for squirrels, has died.
“Today he lost his bout with cancer,” wrote owner Mike Batchelor on Tuesday.
“All of sudden they found the cancer had spread to his spine.”
It was a terrible loss for Mike and Barabara Batchelor of Cumming. Their dog was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on his left foreleg last January, and doctors operated to remove part of his leg.
Doctors decided against amputating the entire leg, after the Batchelors argued persuasively for letting Abel use a prosthetic device.
After the surgery, Georgia Veterinary Rehabilitation, Fitness and Pain Management, in Marietta, created a casting of the amputated limb to design a "spring foot" for Abel.
Abel was fitted with the prosthetic, and trained to build up the muscles of that leg. A video showed that Abel bounced back quickly and was playing and chasing squirrels soon after his unusual operation.
“We had some good times playing with him on his prosthetic after his surgery,” said Mike Batchelor.
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