It can be tough for a pet with a disability. They need a little extra love… but unfortunately some people aren’t willing or capable of giving that love, and abandon their pets instead of taking care of them.
Luckily, other people are willing to go the extra mile and give these animals all the help they need, like one boy who used some creativity to change a dog’s life.
A dog named Gracie had a rough start at life. As a puppy, she was abandoned by her owners, and found in a very poor state, covered in maggots with fur missing below her eyes.
And due to a birth defect, she was missing her front two legs.
She was brought to Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue, and despite everything she was able to find a home. She was adopted by Tammy Turley and her family.
They gave Gracie a second chance that many people wouldn’t have.
“Some people were saying, ‘oh, a dog like that should be put to sleep, what quality of life is she gonna have?'” Tammy told The Dodo. “But now that everyone’s met her they’re like ‘oh my god, she’s so happy!'”
Gracie also has two dog siblings—one of whom has three legs and the other is paralyzed in his hind legs.
Despite her disability Gracie proved to be a happy, energetic dog, hopping around using her hind legs.
While this worked okay, Tammy was worried that Gracie was hurting herself, and sought out a more comfortable way for her to get around.
She looked into getting a wheelchair, but since Gracie was only a puppy and would quickly outgrow the fit it wasn’t worth getting.
But what if there was a way to make an affordable wheelchair that could easily be customized as the puppy grew up?
Turns out, there was a perfect, out-of-the-box solution: LEGO.
Tammy enlisted Dylan, the 12-year-old son of one of the shelter’s trainers, to use his LEGO sets to build a chair for the dog.
Amazingly, he was able to do it, building a colorful and fully functional wheelchair with nothing but plastic toy bricks.
“He put a lot of thought into it and made it so that we velcroed her in.
And when Gracie outgrew the first chair, he was able to quickly build her a new one. He built three custom models in all.
Now Gracie has fully grown, and was able to get a proper wheelchair. But she’ll never forget those special LEGO wheels or the boy who made them.
Now Gracie can run around with all the other dogs and hold her head up high. For her owner, the story is a lesson in how we should never give up on special needs dogs, who just need a helping hand.
“I just want people to realize that special needs animals need a chance to have a loving home also,” Tammy told The Dodo. “She’s just like any other dog, so I don’t want people to feel sorry for her, I want them to enjoy her.”
Gracie has overcome so much, we’re glad to see she’s having a great happy life! Thanks to everyone who helped her!
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