Profile: Chance

Chance is dropped off at a pound in a puppy-sized cage. He's been kept in it for almost a year ever since he was only a few weeks old. As he grows, he's no longer able to stand up in the small confines of his cage. When Chance gets transfered to Toronto Animal Services and the vet techs examine him, they can see his leg bones deformed and his muscles atrophied. At first, he isn't able to stand but over the course of a few weeks rehabilitation, he regains the use of his legs albeit with a lingering, comical gait.

Chance is an exuberant young fellow. He is a little on the wild side and has no leash manners but he is good natured and quite friendly with people despite his early experiences. He'd be a quick match for someone except that along with his initial walking problems, he has demodectic mange, a skin disease caused by mites that usually strikes dogs up to a year old. Many pups carry the mites on their bodies and it's usually not a serious condition but poor health or stress can trigger an active infestation. Chance has mangy patches of raw, exposed skin mostly around his muzzle and front paws and these raggedly looks drive away most potential adopters.

Medication is ineffective and as his time at TAS goes on, his condition worsens to the point where he has to be quarantined. This curtails the possibility of any further public viewings. His spirit noticeably drops and the mange starts to get the better of him. When he starts developing secondary symptoms of multiple skin blisters and lesions due to a normally benign canine papiloma virus, it's obvious that his immune system is failing.

Two months into his stay, sick and getting sicker, with no good chance of recovery or adoption, Chance is euthanized.