Teak
Adoption Status: Accepting Adoption Interest
Gender: Male
Breed: Shepherd Mix
Age: Est DOB: 11/2024
Weight: 68 lbs
Dog Friendly: Yes
Cat Friendly: Unknown
Kid Friendly: Unknown
House Trained: Yes
History: We recently held our annual Out of the Cold Rescue Effort and welcomed back 200+ animals to rescue. This rescue effort helps animals out of the cold, frigid weather of North Dakota and welcomes them to loving foster homes at Coco’s Heart who work towards finding forever homes for these sweet pups.
Teak was diagnosed with Neospora caninum, a parasite that can affect the muscles and nerves, especially in the back legs. In Teak’s case, the infection caused severe muscle damage in one back leg, and it was amputated to give him the best chance at a pain-free, active life. He is on antibiotics to treat the infection with a recheck titer in January 2026.
Neospora is not contagious to people or most other animals, but dogs can sometimes pass it to each other through contaminated food. With proper care, many dogs go on to live long, happy lives.
Teak also previously had Canine Distemper, a virus that affects the respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems in dogs. While it can be serious, Teak has recovered and is no longer contagious—he can safely be around other dogs.
Through everything, Teak has stayed bright, loving, and full of personality. He’s proof that resilience comes in all shapes, sizes, and leg counts.
The puppy photo in Teak’s profile is of Teak himself :)
A Note from the Foster: Boy oh boy! My foster mom said it’s FINALLY time for me to have my big debut! I’m so excited to introduce myself!
My name is Teak and I’ve had quite the journey in my short little life. I came to Coco’s when I was two days old (with my three siblings). We came without our momma so our foster family had the task of bottle feeding us until we could eat on our own. I grew and thrived until I was about six weeks old. Then something went wrong…very, very wrong. My foster mom noticed that I had stopped using my rear legs.
After lots of testing and multiple exams, it was determined that I had a parasite called Neosporosis. In my case, the parasite attacked my rear legs causing paralysis. The parasite is very rare in dogs so I had to see a veterinary neurologist to deal with my condition. The prognosis for animals with Neosporosis is extremely poor. My foster family was devastated by that news, but they were determined to do whatever they could to get me through it.
Since my diagnosis, I have had multiple treatments including medications, physical therapy, electro therapy, acupuncture and daily massages from my foster mom (I’m not complaining 😉). Coco’s made sure I received all the care I needed and consulted with multiple Vets to ensure they were doing every thing they could to treat me.
The good news? We were able to save one of my rear legs! It works great and helps me get around. Bad news? I did need to have one of my legs amputated. It was impacted too much and couldn’t be saved. I am now a tripod, but I manage just fine and I’m still as handsome as ever!
I had another hiccup in June. My foster family welcomed two more foster pups. Unfortunately, we later found out that they had Distemper and I ended up contracting that too! I’m telling ya…I just keep getting one challenge after another!
I quickly recovered from my Distemper (never had symptoms) and proved, yet again, that I am a survivor!
The Neosporosis parasite is a stubborn one so I am still taking one pill twice a day. I’m so used to it, that’s it’s not a big deal at all. The parasite also impacts my bladder so I do have an accident once in awhile, but it has gotten WAY better and may completely go away once my treatment is done.
As far as I go…I’m a bit shy when you first meet me, but my personality eventually comes out and it’s pretty awesome if I do say so myself. I love to play, but I can get a bit rough with smaller dogs. I would love to have a bigger sized brother or sister to play with or a human to play ball with. Toys are my jam! I sleep in my kennel at night without issue and also get fed in it (I like food a bit too much). I’m good on a leash, but can only handle short walks (I’m a big boy on three legs!). I love attention and being with my people and nothing is better than a car ride.
I’m looking for a special person or family that is OK with my uniqueness, will love me unconditionally and support my continued healing.
It took me nine months to get here, but I made it! I overcame everything life threw at me. I beat the odds and never gave up. I’m a fighter, a survivor…a true miracle. I am Teak.
Adoption Fee: $560 + tax
Adoption Status: Is this dog available? Submitting an application is the best first step to learning if a dog is still available. There is a chance this dog could have a pending adoption when your application is submitted, however our team will offer approved applicants to be put on a waiting list for that dog. Additionally, we can make recommendations on other dogs that may be a match. Pending adoptions do not mean the adoption is finalized. Why did we implement this change? We implemented this update because, unfortunately, dogs were pending for applicants for several weeks and then the applicant would change their mind. This happens more often with puppies, as applications are submitted impulsivly more often for them. Our process is great because it takes a little time, so impulsive decisions fade. However it was unfortunate for the dogs, and the foster homes, as then the process needed to be re-started. By securing a wait-list we are able to move forward more quickly if a pending adoption falls through. This is a new process for us, so your feedback along the way is helpful! Thank you for supporting rescue and adoption!
