Luna—say “hi” if you see her at the Dog Park!
Kathy and Steve Gossard
Many of the residents at SaddleBrooke Ranch (SBR) have seen Luna at the Dog Park or on the Nature Trail. Luna is noted for her prancing gait that resembles a Clydesdale horse in a Christmas Day parade.
We have been queried by the SBR residents as to Luna’s breed and who taught her to walk that way. Here is Luna’s story.
Luna is a rescue dog from the Pima County Animal Care Center (PCACC). The PCACC stated that Luna was a Rhodesian Ridgeback brown dog mix, but later, a DNA analysis of her cheek swab revealed this to be wrong. Luna is a combination of many breeds, large (e.g., Boxer) and small (e.g., Lhasa Apso.) Her most interesting breed in the DNA analysis is “Mexican Street Dog.”
We had never heard of this “breed,” but a Google search quickly revealed this to be a term used for “the scrappy, streetwise, catch-all breed likely descended from the stray and feral dog populations that roam the streets and beaches of Mexico.” In other words, she is a mutt. She is cute and seems to have a dingo-like appearance. Her temperament is fabulous. She loves people, other pets, and is a dream with small children.
As for her prancing gait, we did not teach her to walk like this. We thought this gait may be related to the rocks she navigates in the backyard of our SBR home. We queried the local veterinary doctors about her unusual way of walking. In their opinion, this prancing pace is probably related to a neurological condition from a cerebellar issue. This is Luna’s way of coping with the disorder.
Luna is a treasure. Be sure to wave and say “hi” when you see her out and about at the Dog Park or on the Nature Trail.