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Hi, I’m Millie, a golden retriever with three legs, and this is the story of how I found my purpose, spreading extra love and encouragement—with a little help from my human, Lisa.

I was born in September 2018, in a litter of ten puppies. I was born with a front left leg very different from all of my siblings, because it didn’t grow as fast as the rest of me and though I used it to walk when I was tiny, it soon became clear that I couldn’t rely on it as I grew. I learned to get around just fine on three legs. Some people call dogs like me “tripods,” but back then, we didn’t know that word.

Meanwhile, my human Lisa was going through her own challenges. In October 2017, a motorcycle accident changed her life forever. She lost her left leg above the knee and suffered a brachial plexus injury that left her left arm mostly paralyzed. She says it’s hard to describe what it felt like to wake up in the hospital, missing a leg and with one arm that wouldn’t work. She thought it must be someone else’s life—not hers. Her family visited her often, and one day, her son Jesse made her laugh for the first time since the accident. He said, “Mom, you should get a three-legged dog.” She asked, “What are you trying to say, Jesse? That we’d understand each other?” And he replied, “Yes, exactly.”

As Lisa started her recovery, she met some amazing therapy dogs. She saw a golden retriever visiting patients at her rehab hospital, which reminded her of Sam, the yellow lab her family had when Jesse was growing up. Later, at an amputee support group meeting, she met Karen from KPETS (Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services) and her two golden retrievers. One of them was a tripod like me! That’s when Lisa dreamed of having a therapy dog to visit others, spreading the joy and comfort she’d seen those dogs bring.

Then, in September 2018, Lisa’s son called with big news. “Mom,” he said, “I found you a three-legged dog.” He told her about a litter of puppies born to someone they knew, and one of the puppies was missing her front left leg. That was me! Lisa was excited but also unsure. It had only been a year since her accident, and she was still learning to use her prosthetic leg while her arm was mostly paralyzed. On top of that, she and her husband, Ken, were in the middle of selling their house and moving. She didn’t think it was the right time for a puppy, but she couldn’t stop thinking about me. She worried about what kind of home I’d end up in and wanted to make sure I’d be loved and cared for.

Lisa called KPETS, for help finding me a good home. Karen had another idea: “Why don’t you keep her?” Lisa hesitated, saying she wasn’t a dog trainer and didn’t know how to train a therapy dog. Karen reassured her that KPETS teams weren’t professional trainers—just people who loved their dogs and wanted to share them with the community. Lisa still wasn’t sure, so she convinced her husband Ken to come meet me. Lisa hoped he’d fall in love, and guess what? He did.

We moved into our new house on a Thursday in November 2018, and two days later, I came home with them. Lisa was nervous about how she’d care for and train me while still recovering herself, but we figured it out together. I made her laugh all the time, especially when I tackled the stairs on my own—she thought I’d need help, but I’m braver than I look! Lisa named me Millie, short for Amelia, after Amelia Earhart, because she knew I’d need to be as brave as my namesake.

As I grew, I became part of Lisa’s recovery. She says taking care of me was like physical therapy. I gave her a reason to keep going, and she dreamed of the day we’d walk together. Some years were harder than others; there were times when her prosthetic fit well, and she walked a million steps in a year! Other times, it didn’t fit at all, and she could barely move. But we didn’t give up.

Big dogs like me need lots of exercise and mental stimulation, which was a challenge for us. Lisa got creative, using a tennis ball launcher to help me burn off energy, and we played games with my toys. Walking together was tricky because I like to move fast, and Lisa walks slowly with her prosthetic leg. But we made it work. By the time I turned four, we were ready to become a certified pet therapy team with KPETS.

Now, Lisa and I visit people who need a little extra love and encouragement. She says my mission keeps her focused, even when it’s hard. We especially love visiting kids with physical challenges, showing them that being different doesn’t mean you can’t be happy. I think Lisa and I were meant to find each other, and together, we’re proving that resilience and love can overcome anything.