Wheeled cart helps puppy gain mobility
Published: April 20, 2007
A little dog has hit the ground running - or more appropriately, rolling - thanks to community donations.
More than $2,000 was donated to help 1-year-old Trooper walk upright again. The pug, born with his front elbows backwards, now can walk with assistance from a custom-made wheel cart.
The story of the energetic little pup’s fight for freedom should be proof that all of God’s creatures deserve a chance, according to Angel Hill Animal Sanctuary Director Wanda Davenport.
“I will go the extra mile,” Davenport said. “People ask, ‘Why?’ Because it breathes. It’s God’s creature and needs continued care.”
Trooper is adjusting well to his new cart, she said. The small dog with a big heart has a special home at Angel Hill.
“I think he’s going to be our mascot,” Davenport said.
Dogged determination
Trooper has never had an easy life.
A couple found him along the road nearly a year ago and quickly learned about the problem with his legs that may have prompted others to abandon the dog.
According to Davenport, his condition did stop Trooper from being a curious and active pup. He simply learned to walk on his back legs and front elbows, she said.
But this could have caused serious health problems for Trooper in the future, Davenport added.
“According to the veterinarian, if he continued to walk on his elbows and drag his chest, his breast plate would push on his heart,” she said. “The couple who found him on the road knew they couldn’t care for him and brought him here.”
The road to recovery
Davenport considered two options for Trooper - a risky $6,000 surgery or a wheel cart.
“We initially thought we could have the surgery done. They initially said they could operate, but could not guarantee results,” she said.
Davenport launched a fund-raiser and made the appointment for surgery. But Trooper hit a roadblock while undergoing blood testing.
According to the vet, Trooper has a liver stint. This causes blood to pass by the liver and not get purified on the way to the heart.
“It meant he could have surgery, but possibly wouldn’t make it off the table,” Davenport said.
Davenport moved to plan B.
“We got a cart. Never have I heard of it and never, in all my years of being with animals, have I seen legs like that,” she said.
A new set of wheels
About six months ago, Davenport ordered a set of custom made wheels from Eddie’s Wheels of Shelburne Falls, Mass. They arrived about a month ago. The front-end unit allows Trooper to walk with his rear legs and roll in the front with his chest off the ground.
“First he took three steps and slipped,” Davenport said with a laugh. “We have a linoleum kitchen and now he zooms around.”
Davenport said he must be coaxed into the contraption with food, but once he’s strapped in, nothing can stop him.
“He acts like a normal puppy,” she noted.
Any remaining or additional donations will help to purchase special food for Trooper and continue doctor visits. Davenport said a separate account exists to fund his needs.
Trooper is on a special diet because of his liver problems which costs about $40 for each 20-pound bag of food. He also must have blood work every few months.
Official mascot
Caring for Trooper can be a financial burden, so Davenport is pleased to be able to provide him with a loving home.
Angel Hill Animal Sanctuary is a non-profit organization whose motto is “lifetime care for the pets you love.” The no-kill shelter keeps animals that are not adopted until they die of natural causes.
“No one else can take him on,” she said. “We named him Trooper, because he has to be a trooper to live like this.”
It may seem like a lot of effort to help one puppy, but Davenport said it’s worth it.
“Everything that is born deserves a chance to live,” she said. “We do what we need to do to give them a good life.”
Davenport said vets do not like to comment on Trooper’s life expectancy, but for now, she appreciates the continued support and said he’s “a typical puppy.”
“I want to thank the community from the bottom of my heart and from the bottom of Trooper’s little heart because it gives him an opportunity to live,” she said.
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