Tripawds: Life With A Three-Legged Dog | Rene Agredano and Jim Nelson Deep Dive

When the vet recommended amputation for their dog, Rene and Jim were terrified. Little did they know that this diagnosis would help them do a 180 and start living life to the fullest again. 

As it turns out, three legged dogs don’t just thrive—they can teach us a lot about this adventure called life. Rene and Jim tell us about their RV lifestyle, writing two books, meeting Mutts artist Patrick McDonald, and forming Tripawds, an international community for three-legged dog parents. Friendships, foundations, support groups, and even international parties have grown from what seemed like an unmitigated tragedy. And it’s all thanks to Jerry, a three-legged dog who taught his parents how to live in the moment. 

This episode is a gold mine for any dog parent living with or facing amputation, as Jim and Renee have created an amazing community and resources. But the life lessons and joy are worth hearing for anybody and everybody.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Show:

This is the loving HOME for any current or potential tripawd parent. The Tripawds page contains an wealth of resources including forums, a live chat, blogs, reading lists, featured products, and more. https://tripawds.com/ 

The Tripawds foundation with links to donate, apply for financial assistance and free Tripawds gear, call the hotline, read free veterinary outreach materials, and more: https://tripawds.org/

Rene and Jim’s first book, “Be More Dog: Learning to Live in the Now” https://www.amazon.com/Be-More-Dog-Learning-Live-ebook/dp/B07XR6QQN4/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=be+more+dog&qid=1597873191&sr=8-2 

The “Guardian” article covering the first Tripawds gathering: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jul/01/totally-pawesome-at-the-three-legged-dog-convention 

The PBS documentary that connected them to Patrick McDonnel: https://tripawds.com/tag/pbs/

The “Mutts” comic: https://mutts.com/about-patrick/

The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity by Dr. Demian Dressler and Dr. Susan Ettinger.

About Today’s Guests, Rene Agredano and Jim Nelson: 

Jim Nelson and Rene Agredano live, work and write from the road in their RV. In 2007 they sold everything to travel with their terminally-ill dog, Jerry. His bone cancer diagnosis inspired them to create Tripawds.com, an online support community for animal amputees. They are still on the road and their nomadic adventures are chronicled at liveworkdream.com.

Dog Cancer Answers is a Maui Media production in association with Dog Podcast Network

This episode is sponsored by the best-selling animal health book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity by Dr. Demian Dressler and Dr. Susan Ettinger. Available everywhere fine books are sold. 

Listen to podcast episode for a special discount code. 

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