Press release from Asheville Humane Society:
Any five-year-old child with a curious nature has seen the adventures of Dora the Explorer on public television. Dora travels the world, learns new things and has a happy, plucky personality! She loves the freedom she has to travel and has a certain joie de vivre that is incomparable.
Asheville Humane Society now has our very own Dora in the form of a sweet, senior dog, renamed Adorable. The story of Adorable, a seven-year-old Miniature Pinscher/Dachshund-mix, was heartbreaking. She was found as a stray in Weaverville lost, hungry and alone. Even more tragically, she had lost the use of her rear legs, most likely caused by trauma to her spine, leaving her with little to no feeling in her back legs.
When she arrived in late April, staff from the Buncombe County Animal Shelter (BCAS) determined that Adorable’s paralysis was an old injury. But paralysis had apparently never stopped Adorable from exploring. Medical staff could tell that she had pulled herself with her front feet leaving scars on the tops of her rear feet from being dragged. Even with a permanent injury such as this one, Adorable was determined to live life to the fullest, even if it meant dragging herself everywhere like a seal. Adorable quickly won the staff over with her sweet nature and she didn’t appear to allow her disability to slow her down or hinder her. Though she was considered a senior animal at the age of seven, Adorable was still very much a puppy at heart and was very alert and happy when she arrived at the shelter.
Remarkably, Adorable was free from any other medical issues and after a good dental cleaning, she was ready for the next stage on her road to recovery.
After days of watching Adorable drag herself to her food and water bowls, BCAS Animal Care Manager, Paul Vis realized that there was a way to help Adorable explore her surroundings safely without having to drag her legs, and he began construction of a doggy-sized wheelchair that would allow Adorable to move about with more speed and freedom. Paul worked on the cart for several weeks and made two prototypes before the right fit was achieved. Once Adorable was fitted into her wheelchair, a whole new world opened up for her. She raced down the hallways of the BCAS and shelter staff watched her ears fly back as she tore down the sidewalk like Ricky Bobby in the movie “Talladega Nights”!
Adorable’s new wheels have changed her life and have made her the explorer she’s always wanted to be! Anyone interested in adopting Adorable should contact Pam Burgess, Adoption Center Manager at pburgess@ashevillehumane.org.
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