Lieutenant Dan is an adorable little dog from Ohio, full of energy and playfulness. His zest for life is completely infectious, and is made even more special because of the challenges he faced as a young pup.
Lt. Dan – who goes by Lou at home, unless he’s been naughty – was born with a birth defect whereby his hind limbs and tail were severely deformed. Following multiple evaluations by veterinary specialists, this deformity was found to be too severe to be corrected.
With the potential for painful sores to develop from Lt. Dan dragging his hind limbs behind him, the decision was made – when he was just six months old – to have his tail and legs amputated.
Laura WeberThe amputation has made it far easier for Lt. Dan to use his little wheelchair, as his hind legs had previously had to be painfully manipulated to get him into the saddle.
Furthermore, prior to the surgery, his deformed hind legs meant he had been unable to play fight with other dogs or roll about on his back. Activities he now reportedly loves.
Nowadays, this lovely boy finds it much simpler to get around, spending plenty of time outdoors and chasing after his beloved frisbees. He is also now said to be quite a speedy little thing, zooming around the family house and garden without issue.
UNILAD caught up with Lt. Dan’s human mama, Laura Weber, who reckons Lt. Dan is faster than her when on the move:
Lt. Dan has the biggest personality! He is such an expressive dog who I swear almost always has a smile on his face. He has such excitement for everything in life and loves to show off.
He loves to play ball and frisbee outside and inside loves to play tug of war and wrestle with his dog siblings and friends. He also loves adventures, especially hiking and swimming!
Laura WeberLaura’s husband first came across Lt. Dan after searching for the name on social media. They both fell in love with the sweet pup – who was five months old when they brought him home – and his Forrest Gump inspired name.
Although he has a few health concerns, including bowel issues and a sensitive GI tract, Lt. Dan is a very happy fellow with the loveliest grin you’ll ever see. And he has brought so much joy to the lives of his human family.
Laura, who works in the field of veterinary medicine, told UNILAD:
Lt. Dan has shown me that no matter what we should enjoy life! He brings a smile to my face everyday. Now matter how hard your day is how can you not smile and life when you come home to such a big joyful personality!
Now not everything is easy with a handicapable pup, we went through months of recovery following his amputations, we have had to figure out the best process for diapering him and had to fine tune his dietary needs.
He also requires a special pup sitter when we go out of town, who understands and can accommodate his needs.
Laura, who has a ‘huge soft spot’ for dogs who might struggle to get forever homes, is a strong advocate for not giving up on pets who require a little more help.
Offering advice to other animal lovers considering adopting a pet with disabilities, Laura said:
The biggest thing is to make sure you fully understand what you are getting into. A handicapable pet or a pet with an intense medical condition is a lot of extra work.
It usually means expecting to add extra time (more than your normal dog) to your daily routine, accommodating your house (we had to build a ramp on our deck and make other modifications for Lt. Dan) to your pet, higher medical bills, maybe special food and one of the hardest things we have found is finding a good dog sitter for a dog with special needs.
However, these pets can give you so much! They give so much unconditional love and daily inspiration! Now Lt. Dans routine is normal for our house and we let him get all the same attention the other pups get!
He goes on adventures with us, he gets to snuggle on the couch and he sleeps in bed with us. You just have to be willing to take a chance on the special and different ones!
Laura WeberEaster is on the way, and the time has come to crown this year’s Cadbury Bunny, with ten adorable finalists vying to be the 2020 face of Cadbury.
This year, for the very first time, American eaters can help vote for who wins. And Lt. Dan is ready to battle it out against a variety of plucky contenders, including 24lb stray cat, Lunchbox. and therapy llama, Conswala.
Speaking about what this win would mean for Lt. Dan and his family, Laura said:
I saw the Cadbury Bunny Contest online and just knew I had to enter him! I love his big personality and love to share it with others.
He brings joy to so many people and I just love that a dog can do that. We entered right before the deadline for the photo entry. We stayed up until midnight one night after work creating his entry picture.
If Lt. Dan won we would be so excited! It would mean continuing to share the story of a pup who might not have survived if he hadn’t been given a chance and now is thriving!
CadburyLt. Dan already brings smiles to thousands of faces through his popular Instagram page, where fans can catch up with his various adventures. And his new-found fame as a hopeful Cadbury Bunny has led to him inspiring even more people across the globe.
Laura told UNILAD:
We already are so excited about all the new people getting to virtually meet him and the inspiration he brings!
We have had so many people reaching out or commenting about how he inspires them and how they love that you can be different and still accomplish something like this!
The champ will star in the 2020 Cadbury Clucking Bunny Easter advert. They will also receive a cash prize of $5,000 and a very worthy $10,000 donation given in their name to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Laura WeberAll our paws are crossed for Lt. Dan, the jolliest Easter Bunny anyone could hope for.
You can vote for your favourite Cadbury’s Bunny here.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.