“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” – Author Roger Caras
Animals often have no choice in the life they lead. Dogs and cats are at the whim of the people who take them in, dependent on us for food, water, love and entertainment.
And when they are lost, abandoned, they are still dependent on the people around them.
Sadly, there are too many times when those people are not kind. But, as one injured pup was about to find, some strangers can be the heroes you need the most.
In Chattanooga, Tenn., animal control officers were called because residents had noticed an abandoned dog huddling under a car in January.
When they got there, they were shocked. The dog was cold, unable to walk and covered with oil.
Once they were able to pull him out, they rushed him to McKamey Animal Center. Vets said that he had been hit by a car, and was paralyzed partially in his back legs.
“After the hit and run, he’d pulled himself to safety under the car, ” said Lauren Mann, the animal shelter’s director of advancement.
We had no way of knowing how long he’d been out there.”
The staff treated his injuries, but his spinal cord damage meant he couldn’t use his back legs, or even wag his tail.
So they fitted him for a wheelchair for a dog that they had in the office.
Ward the Wunderdog with the pink wheelchair he was outfitted with after a hit-and-run accident left him partially paralyzed. Photo by McKamey Animal Center
Mann and the other staff quickly named him “Ward the Wunderdog”. She said it was because of his ‘resilient nature and sweet demeanor’. Ward quickly took to using the wheelchair.
After he healed some and regained strength, he was put up for adoption. They also began treating him with water therapy. He would use a treadmill that was in a tank of water.
Months later, the staff began noticing Ward would try and use his back legs.
“It was like he was trying to run with his back legs, even though they were suspended in the chair,” Mann said. “He was getting stronger despite his paralysis.”
But the poor dog still wasn’t able to find a permanent home.
Until Kellyn Murphy, a physical therapy assistant, and her husband Matt Murphy showed up.
Matt and Kellyn Murphy with Ward on July 11, the day they adopted him at the McKamey Animal Center in Chattanooga, Tenn. Photo by McKamey Animal Center
“As soon as I saw him, it became my goal to get him moving and standing,” Kellyn said. “We took him home for the night for a slumber party to make sure all (three of our) dogs meshed well, and Ward got along great,” she said. “He was just so sweet that we knew we had to keep him.”
Over time, Kellyn said Ward excelled at his daily exercises, which included stretching sessions and continued hydrotherapy treatments, as well as good, old-fashioned walks.
Within a few weeks, Wade was chewing on a treat, lying on the floor, Kellyn said, when suddenly he wagged his tail.
It was a small wag, and it was only one wag, but it was definitely a wag,” she said.
The following day, it happened again, while Ward was playing with his doggy siblings.
“He’s wagged his tail at least five or six times since then, and I’m hopeful it will continue to keep happening as he gets stronger,” Kellyn said.
She said he has also taken two steps on his own.
“When you put his (wheelchair) harness on, he bounces all over the place and his whole face lights up,” she said.
Kellyn said her long-term plans with Ward is to help him become a therapy dog for children, and adults, who have mobility issues, too.
“He’s fun-loving, determined and incredibly calm, and he brings a lot of joy to everyone who meets him,” she said. “I think he’d be a natural at it.”
Watch below to see Ward in his first TikTok before landing his new family!
@mckameycenter Ward LOVES his new wheels! Somebody come adopt this sweet boy today! ❤️ #animalshelter #ShelterPetsofTikTok #handicapdog #chattanooga #shelterpets #dogsoftiktok #dogtok #dog #adoptme #shelterdog #wheelchairdog ♬ Paper Birds (3 min) – Jordan Halpern Schwartz
Sources: Washington Post | People
