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Paralyzed pit bull finds kindness and wheels
Veterinary technician's rescue efforts keep playful pooch Hope in motion. All she needs now is a forever home.
Wed, Aug 29 2012 at 6:05 PM
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Photo: Morieka Johnson/MNN
Consider it an occupational hazard. Work at a veterinary clinic long enough, and eventually you will wind up falling for a patient. In the case of veterinary technician Christina Simpson, she fell for a patient that had been left behind at her roommate’s veterinary clinic.
Oreo’s owner surrendered the dog because the animal could no longer use her hind legs. After hearing about Oreo, Simpson offered to try laser therapy. The procedure promotes healing at the cellular level by increasing blood flow and decreasing inflammation in the injured area, and had been used successfully by Simpson’s colleagues at Eagle’s Landing Veterinary Hospital in Georgia. Simpson was so sure laser therapy would work that she took responsibility for the perky pooch, renaming her Hope.
“I wanted to try to get her walking again with the laser,” she says. “I was hopeful I could do that and adopt her out, but once it became clear she wasn’t going to walk again, it became difficult.”
By that point, she had fallen for Hope. But with a roommate and a house full of pets, Simpson had no room for another addition. The vet tech decided the next best thing to taking Hope home was to move to Plan B: Build a wheelchair so the dog could get around and — hopefully — find a forever home.
How do you build a wheelchair for a dog? For Simpson, it was time to surf the Web and reach out to her friends.
Firefighter Clay Gaddy (pictured at right), whose wife works with Simpson, downloaded instructions to transform 1-inch PVC pipe, foam insulation and a pair of lawn mower wheels into Hope’s new ride. Eagle’s Landing Veterinary Hospital paid for the supplies and, a few hours later, Gaddy was fitting the dog for her new wheelchair. The first ride was a bit bumpy and required a slight adjustment, but soon Hope was off in pursuit of a stuffed toy.
Fortunately for Hope and other dogs with disabilities, there is no shortage of information to help people care for animals with special needs. On HandicappedPets.com, pet owners offer advice, purchase gear and share words of encouragement. Customers regularly submit video footage of their dogs thriving, and the site’s Facebook fan page has more than 48,000 members. It was created in 2000 by Mark Robinson, who had sold pet supplies and wheelchairs for years.
“People who were caring for disabled animals were feeling very alone and neglected,” says Robinson. “Friends and neighbors would say, ‘Aww, put the poor thing to sleep,’ but these people knew their dog was alive, awake, happy — they just couldn’t walk. They had nowhere to go for support.”
Community feedback led Robinson to invent the Walkin Wheels adjustable wheelchair, which is available in 22 countries, including Australia, France and — coming soon — Iran. A mini version accommodates dogs that weigh less than 20 pounds and ranges from $249 to $325, while the standard version works for dogs up to 180 pounds. Prices range from $399 to $529. Upon hearing Hope's story, HandicappedPets.com offered Simpson a travel-friendly Walkin Wheels to keep Hope moving in the right direction.
Now, all Hope needs is a forever home. Eagle's Landing has agreed to board her until Simpson finds the right family, one that can handle the challenges of a pet with special needs. In the meantime, Hope is adjusting to her new wheels. Check out the video at the bottom of the story to see her in action.
“It’s hard to keep up with [Hope] when she makes up her mind,” Simpson says. “Her front end is all muscle so she’s a great candidate for a wheelchair.”
If you are interested in providing a forever home for Hope (seen in the video below), please email Christina Simpson via email at Sheba256@yahoo.com.
Related pet stories on MNN:
- More amazing advances in veterinary medicine
- Stolen dogs returned to owner 5 years later
- The Big Apple gets its first dog resort
— Morieka V. Johnson @Soulpup
Got a pet question? Send it to pets@mnn.com and our expert will try to track down the answer. Plus: Visit our advice archives to see if your question has already been tackled.
Photo of Clay Gaddy, video of Hope by Morieka Johnson/MNN
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Brilliant!! Just a thought tho, that maybe the back bar could be padded so her bones don't chafe on the bare PVC? Otherwise, well-done!!
that's a great idea. i saw a vid of a larger dog with hind leg paralysis, and they had fashioned foot guards of leather welding gloves, so as to not wear away the bare rear feet. such good baby dogs!
addendum-the larger dog's legs dragged on the ground, as opposed to the PVC pipe, so the leather foot guards were velcroed to his back legs where they contacted the ground. best wishes to the loving people that care for our animal friends!!!
how does she poop? does she just kind of lean back in the cart, or what?
I just had a cart made for my 9 yo Rottweiler after a leg amputation cuz of osteosarcoma. Unfortunately she only got to use it twice before a brain tumor forced me to have her put to sleep. I wish she could've enjoyed it more and felt more ease of movement before she passed. Kudos to Christina & Clay for their efforts.
It's wonderful to have a story like this, after all the stories about cruelty to animals. There's hope yet (if you'll pardon the pun). Yes, I also noticed the problem with her back legs and agree with Toots's solution. Way to go, Ms. Simpson and Firefighter Gaddy!
I love this story..such a precious dog. I do hope someone just falls in love with her and takes her for good, giving her the love and care she deserves. God bless this vet and the tech..they have earned their special place in heaven.
What a wonderful thing for this little doggie! Now she can come and go. I do hope she gets a forever home with someone who will love her as she deserves. She's a cutie.
In Maryland, we have a group called Pets With Disabilities that only works with animals with disabilities.
They need to pad under her back legs. They are laying right on the PVC pipe by the look of it. Pad it and provide a velcro strap to hold her legs in place. One of the pic's looks like they're sliding off to the side. Just sayin'......She's a doll!!!!
awww, now that is so cool:) and the dog looks so happy!
OMG! poor girl for not having use of her hind legs, but adorable!