From Thai Streets to U.S. Prosthetics: A Paralyzed Dog’s Life-Changing Rescue

Rescue Tales is a content series that celebrates the inspiring rescue stories of pets within the Pet Releaf community. Each story reveals their journey to finding a forever home, highlighting the impact of second chances, fresh starts, and the care they receive to help them live their best lives. 

About My Rescue: 

Pet name: Frida 

Breed: Thai Bangkaew 

Age: 7 YO 

Social Media: 

Instagram: @frida_strong  

Facebook: Frida_Strong 

What is your rescue pet's background or story? Do you know anything about their life before they came into your care? 

It was a cool winter night in Chiang Mai, Thailand when we found Frida dragging herself through traffic. My friend and I had been volunteering at Elephant Nature Park in Thailand—a sanctuary for elephants but also cats, dogs, horses, and many other animals. After dinner one night, and discussing the artist Frida Kahlo, who inspired us with her strength despite trauma and mobility issues, we headed back to the hotel. In the shadows, we came across a dog dragging her back legs across the road. We immediately knew she needed help. I had some dog treats on me (as I do when I travel in other countries), so I tested the waters with her, and she rolled over for a belly rub. I took my shawl, wrapped her up in it, and took her to our hotel. 

With the help of Elephant Nature Park, we secured her care at a veterinarian hospital, where it took her wounds about 2-3 months to heal. We learned she had a broken back, which caused paralysis of the lower half of her hind legs and incontinence. Her paws were missing flesh and even bones from the dragging, and she had a raging infection that she was soon to have succumbed to. We named her "Frida" after the artist. 

Frida did have a collar on but no tags. We believe at some point she probably did have a family since she had a collar but likely since her accident, she never returned home. We asked a few of the local hotels if they recognized her, but no one did. She was found near a "dog temple," and it was thought perhaps she had been given food by the monks. 

How did you find your rescue pet? Did you adopt your pet from a shelter, rescue organization, or through a different avenue?  

We found Frida on the streets of Chiang Mai, Thailand. After taking her in and securing her care, I left Thailand a few days later. I followed her journey daily through pictures and communication with the vets and sponsored her care. I contemplated where Frida would go once she was healed. The options were to live with the other paralyzed dogs at the sanctuary with minimal chance of adoption or to bring her home to the US where she could have a fulfilling life and the best chance of recovery. I flew back to Thailand four months after finding her and brought her home first class on Eva Air! 

Elephant Nature Park worked with the vets to provide the necessary documentation so when we landed in Los Angeles, it was a breeze. With a clear bill of health and a rabies vaccine 30 days before arrival into the US, we were cleared through immigration. 

Did you face any challenges during the adoption process or after bringing your pet home? Has your rescue pet's past experiences influenced their behavior or interactions with you? 

Caring for a paralyzed pet comes with numerous challenges, and it becomes a necessity to be creative to work with these challenges. Frida is unable to release urine on her own. Her bowels and bladder need to be expressed four times a day, and she wears diapers in the house. She is at risk for urine scald of the skin and bladder infections if this is not managed properly. 

Without her braces, she drags her paws, so ensuring she stays on smooth surfaces so as not to re-injure her feet is a must. Frida was a street dog, and with that comes trauma. As a result, she is an anxious dog, mistrusting of strangers yet loyal to her closest family members. Her medical needs require significant handling by her caregivers. Finding caregivers that Frida can trust adds another challenging dimension to her care. 

As a single physician with a demanding work schedule, I had to find a way to obtain care for Frida when I am away at work, sometimes 12-24 hours at a time. Frida requires consistency in seeing the same person day in and out in order to trust them. 

I have managed to care for Frida by hiring a live-in caregiver. We are Team Frida! My current caregiver, Amie, happens to also be a dog trainer, and we are working with Frida to reduce her anxiety. 

Did your pet have any special needs or requirements when you first brought them home? 

When Frida came to the US in 2019, we continued her recovery here, which consisted of swim therapy, stretches, acupuncture, core exercises, and massage. 

After walking Frida in a doggy wheelchair, we still felt that Frida had more ability than what the wheelchair could give her. After some unsuccessful attempts using braces, I reached out to Derrick Campana, dog prosthetics extraordinaire, from Disney Plus' "Wizard of Paws" TV show to see what he could do. It was COVID times, and traveling was limited, so my family and I decided to make the best of things and ended up on a cross-country RV road trip to meet Derrick. Frida was featured and fitted for her first set of WORKING prosthetic braces in December 2020, which forced her feet to a normal anatomic position, and now she can walk upright! 

Does your pet have any ongoing health issues now? 

Her health issues stem from her injury of a broken back. She will always be incontinent, but because of our diligence with her bladder expressions and her diet, she rarely has bladder infections, and she has never had any skin issues. 

Her natural posturing is to drag her back legs. With her injury comes arthritis and contractures, so her bones change over time. Her prosthetic braces also must change over time. It is about continually adapting to change, learning what works and what doesn’t over time, and looking for creative solutions. 

What Pet Releaf products or other supplements do you use to support your rescue pet? 

Hip and Joint Releaf Edibites in Peanut Butter and Banana Flavor to help support Frida's joint health and mobility, helping to support Frida's joint health and mobility, helping to ease her discomfort and enhance her overall joint function. 

Crananidin cranberry supplements to prevent bladder infection.