Malcolm Clements watched as a 2-year-old Chihuahua with paralyzed hind legs zipped along the halls of the Animal Care Services clinic in a customized wheelchair.
Glue held together the bicycle training wheels and PVC pipe wrapped in green bandages with painted yellow flames rising from each side. A tiny license plate on the back read: ?You should see my other ride.?
Because of his speed, ACS staff members named him Scooter.
As Scooter finished his sprint, Clements knew the little speedster was destined to join his family.
?Dang it,? Clements said. ?I guess I have to adopt this dog.?
ACS staff veterinarian Marilyn Gotbeter said 10 years ago, pets with Scooter's injuries probably would've been euthanized.
?He definitely had a will to live,? she said. ?We're more than willing to tackle these problems as they come in; these animals are just as special and need loving homes.?
ACS clinic manager Joel Jenks said the agency now has more resources and personnel to make disabled animals a priority, treating an average 40 dogs per month suffering from severe trauma injuries.
And pet owners have more assistance available at specialty stores and online sites that offer a range of adaptive equipment to help pets have more independent lives instead of having them euthanized.
Wheelchair choices for dogs and cats have expanded since manufacturers began selling carriers to the public more than 20 years ago. There are models that fit all animal sizes from gerbils to small cows, and support from 1 pound to 250 pounds.
Pet wheelchairs cost from $160 to $1,000, some featuring support to only front or back legs, and include options such as two or four wheels that are either foam or pneumatic air-filled.
An ACS officer found Scooter on Dec. 19 on the East Side, near the historic cemeteries lining North New Braunfels Avenue. Because of pelvic limb paralysis, Scooter had gaping wounds on his hind legs from dragging himself around. After an exam, the clinic veterinarians concluded his injuries were consistent with being hit by a car, and that surgery wouldn't restore mobility to his broken limbs.
ACS veterinarary technician Miram Ross fostered him at home at night. Her husband, Stephen, who was handy with tools, thought he could help Scooter. He bought PVC pipes, used for water distribution, at a home improvement store, measured the pup and fastened zip ties to a harness. Once laced up, the Chihuahua was off.
?It was about improving his quality of life,? Lisa Norwood of ACS said. ?It wasn't that he couldn't get around, but we wanted him to get around in a much better fashion.?
Recently, a Shih Tzu named Eddie arrived at the clinic with the same injuries as Scooter. ACS adoptions counselor Sabrina Oyervides and her family took Eddie home and built him a wheelchair like Scooter's with two wheels ? giving him a second chance.
Gotbeter said she remembers when resources across the nation weren't available to provide care for some physically impaired animals.
Now, severe injuries don't mean a death sentence since the public began volunteering to take disabled pets home. Gotbeter said companies and university hospitals helped save many lives by providing animal shelters with prosthetics, braces and wheelchairs.
When ACS staff posted Scooter's picture and history on the adoption section of its website, Gini Clements saw him and felt an immediate spark. She asked her husband to drive to the ACS campus and apply to foster the Chihuahua until someone could adopt him.
?I always keep an eye out for smaller dogs,? she said. ?They went over and above for the little dog. They made it so he could get around, and now there's no stopping him.?
After bringing him home, Malcolm Clements noticed that the back rail of the carrier rode a little high and Scooter couldn't right the cart if it turned over. To offer Scooter more comfort, he followed the instructions of a You Tube video and constructed a new, refined chair.
The wheels are smaller and the PVC pipes are lighter, which could only mean one thing ? more speed.
?His disability doesn't inhibit him at all,? Clements said. ?He can fly. He wants to be with the big dogs.?
vtdavis@express-news.net
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