Boone, a 9-month-old hound mix, gets around with a wheelchair as his back legs were amputated when he was younger.

Boone is a good boy. The 9-month-old hound mix is energetic, affectionate and loves to be petted by his owners, Tanya and Charles Diable of Butler Township.

Boone came to live with the Diables in December after his former owner in Texas cut off the puppy's back legs.

“The owner brought him to a shelter,” said Tanya Diable. “The owner had cut off his legs. His leg bones were literally sticking out.”

When the Diables picked up Boone his stitches were oozing blood and the pup was tick-infested.

Today Boone gets around in a temporary wheelchair and rushes around the house in a “scoot bag” that keeps his rear stumps from being rubbed raw by the floor.

Boone joins five other abused dogs the Diables have adopted including Joey, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever who also had both his hind legs cut off when he was six weeks old in North Carolina.

Joey was adopted by the Diables in October 2016.

Joey had been fitted with a pair of prosthetic legs, but a persistent infection in his right stump led to further surgery, and now he is what the Diables call a tripod, a three-legged dog with one rear, prosthetic leg.

But Joey has lent his name to the nonprofit charity the Diables created: Joey's P.A.W.

P.A.W. stands for prosthetics and wheelchairs.

She said, “We provide partial or full funds to dogs in need of a prosthetic or a wheelchair. We have an underlying message of the joy of owning a special-needs dog and on our website www.joeyspaw.org we have a adoptable section for dogs that have special needs and are in need of a forever home.”

A dog prosthetic limb can cost as much as $1,600 and dog wheelchairs can range from $300 to $1,200.

Charles Diable said, “Part of our purpose is to show people that just because he has three legs, he can still be an active dog.

“Boone has two legs and you can see how happy he is,” he added.

Tanya Diable said, “We started it on Aug. 26, 2017. We are a 501(c) (3) charitable organization located in Butler.”

“We wanted to be able to help dogs that needed wheelchairs and prosthetics to get up, get moving and get adopted,” she said.

The Diables said adopting Boone increased their drive not just for Joey's P.A.W. but to make people aware of animal abuse.

“We teamed up with the Butler (County) Humane Society this past Easter and we took Boone to the event, and there were a lot of people that have never seen animal abuse up close and personal,” said Tanya Diable.

“We wanted to make sure when we took Boone to the humane society that people know what animal abuse looks like,” she said.

Michelle Slupe, executive director of the Butler County Humane Society, said, “Joey's P.A.W. hosted a benefit for the county humane society here on site. It was an Easter open house.”

Slupe said the open house had an egg hunt, pictures with the Easter bunny and other activities.

Unfortunately, Slupe said, the society shelter sometimes gets animals that have been intentionally injured.

“It's very tragic, very cruel. It is amazing how cruel people can be,” Slupe said.

Joey's P.A.W., said Slupe, “is a strong supporter and resource. It's very important.”The cause is so important to the Diables that they have four other dogs, all with unusual conditions: Kingston, who has been blind since birth; Harper, who has a heart murmur; Zoe, who has eating issues after being severely starved and abused; and Temperance, who has epilepsy and a head tremor.The cruelty that had been inflicted on these animals can be staggering.“There are sociopaths in the world. These are serial killers in training,” said Tanya Diable.And the damage done to these dogs isn't easily undone.Charles Diable said Boone is scheduled for a trip to the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center to get his hip examined. The Diables could be called regulars at the medical center. They've made numerous visits to get treatment for their dogs.They've also made multiple trips to Dr. Gretchen Meyers in Cranberry Township“They are here all the time, bringing their pets in two at a time,” Meyers said.“We see them once or twice a month. They have a couple of dogs they've taken on that have special needs.”But not all the damage can be fixed by a visit to the veterinarian.Joey goes into a constant barking frenzy when meeting unfamiliar humans.“It's not that he doesn't like strangers, he's just so afraid of people hurting him that he gets worked up,” Tanya Diable said.“We're going to attempt to take him to a trainer to get that behavior resolved,” she said.The couple are so devoted to their six dogs they are considering moving even though they've just finished remodeling their home on Belmont Road.It's because, while they have a large fenced-in backyard, they are afraid it is too hilly for Boone to maneuver in his wheelchair.It seems a small price, according to Tanya Diable.“I have always thought that animals that are injured, blind, deaf, missing legs are so heartful and unique.“I see past all that. You see Boone and you see happiness,” she said.

Joey's P.A.W. is a nonprofit charity started by Tanya and Charles Diable to provide partial- or full-funding for dogs in need of prosthetics or a wheelchair so they can have a chance at a more mobile life.To make a donation,send checks to:Joey's P.A.W.301 Belmont RoadButler, PA 16001PayPal: Joey.diable@yahoo.comFor more information, visit their website at www.joeyspaw.org.

Boone, a 9-month-old hound mix, sits with his owners, Tanya and Charles Diable, at their home in Butler Township.