Clyde, a 1-year-old husky, has cerebellar hypoplasia, which causes him to have a hard time balancing.
This silly husky can’t wait to play with his friends, even if he has a clumsy gait and often trips over his own legs.
Clyde, a 1-year-old husky living in Phoenix, Arizona, has cerebellar hypoplasia, which causes him to have a hard time balancing.
“It’s kind of like being drunk or tipsy,” his owner April Addison told InsideEdition.com.
She explained that she has always had a soft spot for dogs with special needs and after much research, she adopted Clyde from a local special needs rescue last fall.
Cerebellar hypoplasia causes an underdeveloped cerebellum in the brain, which controls all motor skills. Clyde has been attending physical therapy since his adoption and has improved his balance but still has a bit of a hard time getting from place to place.
“Clyde has a wagon, he can’t walk to and from the park,” Addison said. “I have to assist Clyde with his eating and make sure when he’s going to the bathroom he doesn’t fall in it because he does pee on himself sometimes.”
Clyde also has limited vision unrelated to his condition and has a lot of extra energy.
“If we want quiet time, if we want to lay down or take a nap, I kind of have to assist him in laying down and then keep him very busy with toys to make sure he stays down,” Addison said.
Even though Clyde needs a little more help than other dogs, he doesn’t have any trouble having just as much fun as his other dog friends, including a tiny French bulldog named Murphy and Nico, a German shepherd with special needs that Addison adopted shortly after Clyde.
“They grew up together so they have a crazy bond, a brotherly bond,” Addison said. “He seems to thrive on being around other dogs. He wants to be like them, he wants to participate, he just really enjoys moving.”
She explained that she hopes their story inspires others to give dogs with special needs a chance.
“It’s so rewarding,” she said. “It takes extra time, it is extra work I’m not going to lie, but the reward far outweighs any work that is involved.”
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