Hampton couple gives look at life with paralyzed but ambitious pup

A freak accident changed the lives of Moose and Madonna Weiland and their miniature long coat dachshund Jojo forever, but showed how much fight can come in such a small package.

The day before Thanksgiving nearly five or six years ago, Jojo, now 10 years old, jumped off the Weiland’s bed in their Hampton home and let out a yelp. By noon the next day, Jojo could move, but her hind legs dragged behind her.

A visit to a local veterinarian showed that Jojo essentially blew out two disks in her back. She was then sent to the College of Veterinarian Sciences at Iowa State University in Ames for surgery and subsequent treatments for a number of weeks. Due to the severity of her injury and the possibility that the paralysis could spread, the Weilands were given a difficult and sobering choice to make.

“They gave us the option of putting her to sleep and giving her the surgery,” Moose said. “We couldn’t wrap our head around putting her to sleep.”

The Weilands elected to put their faith in the hands of the surgeons. Surgery took up to six hours, while doctors worked to remove the two disks in her back and make sure she sustained no additional damage.

“It’s kind of like what they do with a human,” said Madonna. “They went in and took those disks out.”

Jojo stayed at the vet’s office for up to 10 days and then participated in a blind study to see the affects of a medication meant to aid in nerve damage.

“The study was that if it would work on the animals, would it work on the athletes that had spinal injuries,” he said.

The Weilands received a wheelchair from the college as well, which props up Jojo’s back legs while her front legs walk and move the device. The wheelchair took some time getting used to, but over the years, Jojo has learned the ends and outs of operating it in order to comfortably conduct the routine of a dog.

“She gets around pretty good now,” Moose said. “She knows enough she’s got to swing wide or she’ll get the wheel hung up on something.”

Jojo needs help with everyday functions, such as going to the bathroom and traveling up and down stairs, but she brings with her a strong sense of determination. She moves throughout the Weiland’s home without the use of the wheelchair, only using it outside, and, can get off the couch on her own and move down the back steps on her own. She also enjoys playing outside with her “sister” Lilly, also a long coat dachshund from the same family line as Jojo. She enjoys most aspects of life, but does have her opinions.

“We go fishing and she’s never liked getting in the boat,” Moose said.

Jojo’s sense of determination, along with the aforementioned medication, has also led to improvement in her condition. Moose said that while she can’t fully walk, she has regained some feeling in her back legs.

“When she gets to scooting around, she’ll pull one of her hind legs up, so one’s going backwards and one’s going forward when she’s scooting in the house,” he said. “When she’s sleeping on the couch next to me, I can poke her by the tail and she’ll wake up and look at me.”

The Weilands have seen first hand that Jojo is proof all pets deserve a chance, no matter the condition. Never has it crossed their mind that getting rid of her would even remotely be an option.

“When we got her, we made a commitment to have her,” Moose said.

If anything, Jojo’s journey has shown that an animal with a disability can be beneficial to both the pet and the caretakers.

“Don’t be afraid of them,” Moose said. “They can live a good life yet, but they’re work. You don’t just throw food and water down there and let them out.”