The first few months of Madras’s life weren’t easy, although she didn’t seem to mind. During birth, her mother Buljba, an older tiger having her first litter, sat down as the cub was partially out of the birth canal. When the trainer tried to get Buljba to stand, the tiger swung around and slung the newborn cub against the bars of the cage. The result for the cub, Madras, was a severe head tilt.
Maggie Carlin could barely walk 15 feet without taking a break. Although she was only 10 years old, the vivacious redhead suffered excruciating pain from arthritis in both knees. Pain wasn’t anything new to her. At the tender age of 6 months, a veterinarian in Texas diagnosed the golden retriever with luxating kneecaps, and she underwent surgery on her knees. One was successful; the other wasn’t.
