Harry the dog

CAIRO — A Grady County canine that inspired many with his struggle to regain mobility was laid to rest earlier this week.

Kay Williams, owner of Frog Song Farm Sanctuary where Harry the dog lived the last 14 months of his life, said the “sweet but feisty” Lhasa Apso-mix with the “funny-looking” underbite died Monday after being diagnosed with liver cancer.

“It was really crushing because he made huge gains in his mobility,” Williams said.

“It’s been a hard adjustment not to have him right here,” she added.

It was less than a year ago when Harry gained attention after receiving a special wheelchair designed to help him regain some of his ability to walk. The wheelchair allowed Harry to paddle his back legs without using too much body weight, granting him instant mobility while also acting as a physical therapy device.

The wheelchair, and the other physical therapy treatments that Harry received, were effective. His regular acupuncture sessions were eventually reduced to just once every few months, and his hydrotherapy treatments completely stopped in December.

In recent months, Harry had finally been able to walk independently and had even gained the ability to wag his tail — something he hadn’t been capable of doing before. Though he still couldn’t handle walking up or down stairs, Harry had ditched the wheelchair for good.

“I’m not going to say he walked normally, but he got around,” Williams said. “He got around quickly enough that if I put him down outside and turned my back I would have to go look for him.”

On one such occasion, Williams let Harry outside for a potty break on a dark night and quickly went back inside to grab a coat. When she returned outside, Williams couldn’t find Harry anywhere. Armed with a flashlight, Williams finally found Harry on the far side of the farm after a lengthy search.

“He had gone so far that I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “That’s how mobile he had gotten.”

Harry was taken in for an acupuncture treatment several weeks ago where a decision was made to take a routine blood test. Harry’s medications had been recently reduced, and though his appetite had also somewhat decreased, nothing was seen as out of the ordinary at the time.

Williams received the results of the blood test the following day that indicated Harry’s liver enzymes were abnormally high. Harry was rushed for an ultrasound in Thomasville, where it was discovered that his liver was “full with cancer.”

“It was kind of a shock,” Williams said.

Over the next several weeks, Harry slowly became bloated and gradually stopped eating altogether. With a veterinarian already scheduled to visit Frog Song on Monday to tend to another animal, a decision was made to put Harry to sleep at home where he was comfortable.

Described as a big eater who would do anything for a treat and an excellent snuggler who enjoyed cuddling in the evenings, Harry originally came to Frog Song as a rescue in November 2018. Since his arrival, thousands of dollars were raised for him to receive medical treatment for his condition, which came about suddenly during a veterinary treatment meant to help his injured spinal cord.

Williams estimated that Harry was between eight and 10 years old when he died. He was buried on the farm he loved so much, where he was brought after nearly being put down in an Indiana shelter due to his sickly condition and lack of mobility.

At Frog Song, Harry enjoyed patrolling the fence line of the farm where he would bark at the nearby horses and donkeys. On several occasions, Harry even managed to work himself through the fence and into the horse pasture before being quickly removed.

Harry was close with his six canine siblings at Frog Song, with whom he often shared his dog bed. He was described as loving everyone he met, but he saved his deepest affection for Williams herself.

More than anything, Williams said it’s Harry’s fighting spirit that she’ll miss the most.

“He was a warrior,” she said. “He fought so hard to be mobile.”