Balin is an adorable American Bulldog/Boxer mix puppy that came to us from a local shelter where he was brought in as a stray. Upon intake, the shelter staff immediately noticed that something was wrong with Balin's leg and contacted us to see if we could help. Of course, we took one look at his pictures and just couldn't say no to that face! 

We took Balin straight to our vet where radiographs showed that he was suffering from pneumonia (our poor puppy!) as well as a traumatic injury to his left knee. Our vet started him on antibiotics to treat his pneumonia and advised us to see the orthopedic surgeon at the Akron Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center to see what could be done for his knee. 

In November of 2012, Balin was seen by the specialist at the Akron hospital, where it was confirmed that a previous traumatic injury had pushed his left kneecap out of place. This created a lot of pain and swelling in leg, causing Balin to have a dramatic limp. Surgical correction was recommended to avoid future pain and suffering, and we agreed.

Balin's orthopedic surgery was peformed by the specialist on Jan. 4th, 2013. In lay terms, the doctor had to cut into the bone to create a deeper "pocket" for the kneecap to sit in, and then clean out and re-create the entire joint so that it was functional and stable. Balin did great after surgery and after several weeks of medication and strict exercise restrictions, he is healing beautifully and is ready to start looking for his forever home! 

Despite everything he's been through, Balin is a typical puppy! He's a total goofball and he makes his foster family laugh every day! He loves everyone he meets, is good with kids and cats and is great with other dogs. He is full of life and loves to have fun - you would never know that he ever had any issues with his leg! He loves to romp in the yard, play with his toys and when he's worn himself out, he wants nothing more than to snuggle up with his people and take a nap! 

Balin is crate-trained (he goes right in with the "kennel" command!) and walks well on leash. He is working on basic obedience (he knows sit and paw!) and is currently about 95% housetrained. He will have the occasional accident in his crate if his foster family is gone more than 5-6 hours, but is perfect when loose inside the house while they're home. Because of this, he may benefit from a forever family that is home a majority of the day with him so that he's able to go out and potty more often. (This isn't uncommon with puppies - they need to go out more frequently than adult dogs!) He is a smart boy that LOVES treats and is eager to please his people, so with continued training and consistency, he'll soon be 100%!

Balin is currently 10 months old and around 55lbs. Our vet guesstimates that he'll be around 60-65lbs. when fully grown. He is a healthy boy now (YAY!) and is neutered, microchipped, up to date on vaccinations, dewormed and on monthly flea/heartworm preventative. He is a happy, loving, funny, outgoing puppy that will make a wonderful addition to just about any home! 

His adoption fee is $200.

Please click here to submit an adoption application for Balin! 

If you have any questions, please contact us at newleashrescue@gmail.com. Thanks!  =)

Good with Dogs, Good with Cats, Good with Kids