Special dogs have their day in the sun

Disabilities don’t give pause to paws at picnic for 3-legged pups

Wallace, a 3-year-old miniature poodle mix, came from “ruff ” beginnings: He was hit by a car in Stockton two years ago, and the impact shattered his left hind leg, forcing veterinarians to amputate.

But Wallace has learned how to run up stairs again and acquired a loving guardian, Trina Chow of San Francisco; an Instagram account with 1,200 followers; and a doppelganger friend in the city — Filbert, also a poodle mix whose left hind leg was amputated after being hit by a car. They found each other through Instagram after photos of the other kept popping up in their guardians’ social media feeds.

Wallace and Filbert met up in person on a sunny, clear Sunday at the eighth annual threelegged “tri-pawed” dog picnic at Duboce Park in San Francisco. The free event, organized by San Franciscan Franny “Panny” Corsick, drew about 30 dogs and their human companions from as far away as Yuba City (Sutter County). All “handicapable” canines were welcome: dogs in casts, braces and wheelchairs; deaf dogs;

“She’s tried to run. She tried to jump out of the Lyft when we got here.” Meghan Stevenson, talking about her dog, Sasha, who wears a brace for a torn anterior cruciate ligament

blind dogs; one-eyed dogs; and senior dogs, often referred to as “vintage.”

“He just wants to follow Wallace around,” Ned Wydysh said of Filbert, as the dogs chased each other on the grass. Wydysh and his fiancee, Alyssa Twomey, adopted Filbert, a former stray, about seven months ago, after his accident.

Volunteers with Muttville, the San Francisco group specializing in senior dog rescue, brought dogs up for adoption. Local singer Belinda Blair performed with her ukelele.

Sasha, a 15-year-old border collie-poodle-shih tzu mix, stopped by. She tore her anterior cruciate ligament in February while coming off a curb and has been wearing a pink brace to help stabilize her hind leg. She will probably wear the brace for the rest of her life, said her guardian, Meghan Stevenson of San Francisco. It barely slowed her down Sunday.

“She’s tried to run. She tried to jump out of the Lyft when we got here,” Stevenson said. “We’re going to brunch after.”

Photos by Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Scooter makes his way through the eighth annual picnic for three-legged dogs with the help of his wheels. Dogs with all kinds of disabilities were welcome at the event in San Francisco’s Duboce Park.

A pup in a leg brace joins the fun at the “tri-pawed” dog picnic, which drew about 30 pups and their humans.

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle A canine participant frolics through Duboce Park during the Three Legged Dog Picnic, which also featured volunteers from the rescue group Muttville.