Tender loving care turns dog into champion

She was a delicate, badly neglected little papillon from a Wisconsin puppy mill.

When Jennifer Harman, of Elkhart, saw the photo posted on a national papillon website of Lucy back in 2007, her heart broke.

She was in very bad shape and clearly in need of some loving care, Harman said.

The then-year-old dog had been neglected, dumped by her owners at a puppy mill until she was rescued by Papillon Rescue. Harman decided to rescue the dog and took her in.

Lucy is now recovered and is — not only a loving member of Harman’s family — she has won many agility awards.

“I was working at a shelter when I saw Lucy’s picture on a papillon website,” said Harman.

“She was about a year old, had hardly no hair and the little hair she had had mange. Her knee cap had slipped (out) and she could only walk on one leg. It was said her owners could no longer afford to keep her. After caring and fostering the papillion, I immediately fell in love with her.”

It took six to eight months to bring her back to health and surgery was performed on her legs. Eventually, Lucy started obedience classes and has done very well, Harman said.

“Once she was completely healed I started agility and obedience classes with her later that year.”

Years later she was on her way to being a champion, Harman said.

She received her C-ATCH (CPE Agility Trial Champion) title recently. It took 120 qualifying rounds to receive the title. Today she has a total of 19 agility titles and her CGC (Canine Good Citizen) title.

Papillons are highly intelligent and trainable. The papillon, also called the continental toy spaniel, is a breed of the spa-niel type of dog.

One of the oldest of the toy spaniels, it derives its name from its characteristic butterfly-like look of the long and fringed hair on its ears.

“Recently, Lucy injured her leg, the same one that she injured before I got her,” said Harman.

“She may need surgery again on it and now her agility career is officially over. If she doesn’t need surgery, I will still retire her so she doesn’t injure the leg further,’’ Harman said.

“I just wanted to show people that rescued and unwanted dogs can accomplish great things.”