Since the day of her rescue and adoption, Lady has been all over various social media platforms. This little celebrity hound’s life is continuously touching lives and inspiring others.
Lady, The Paralysed Dog
Lady is a 5-year old Kelpie and a survivor of an accident which made her a paraplegic dog. When she was just 6 months old, she was run over by a car leaving her with a broken spine and pelvis and her rear legs both broken.
She was then picked up by Aboriginal people from Warlukurlangu Artists Centre who run a dog health program in Yuendumu, NT. The centre is involved in feeding hungry dogs, managing ticks, spaying, neutering, and caring for sick and abandoned dogs.
Looking at Lady’s helpless condition, they’ve decided to put her down thinking that she won’t survive. But Lady showed a strong will to stay alive. They brought her to Gloria Morales’ house, the art centre’s Assistant Manager, who also run Aussie Desert Dog’s, Facebook page. Gloria took care of her for months while she healed. Lady was placed on crate rest and was given medications to relieve pain and inflammation. Overtime, Lady was able to recover and move but she was paralysed and sadly, had urinary and fecal incontinence. Despite her condition, Lady grew as a playful, loving and happy dog.
Lady’s Road To Recovery
Lady’s disability didn’t hinder her to live a normal life just like the other dogs from the centre. Her charismatic and give-it-a-go personality has an effect on everyone she meets. People who visited the centre took notice of her and pet lovers have been generous in contributing to her recovery. Soon, she was given a wheelchair specially designed to allow her to move and freely use her working legs once more.
Her mobility was restored and the wheelchair allowed her to run, and play and enjoy life again.
A New Home, A New Hope
The centre encourages people to adopt the dogs they were able to rescue. After a few years, Lady was put on the Aussie Dessert Dog's Facebook page and Annie saw her, fell in love with her face and offered to give Lady a new home.Annie Whitlocke, a former carer of quadriplegic patients saw Lady, on her wheelchair, on Aussie Desert Dog’s page. Having a soft spot for animals with special needs, Lady’s story hit a spot on Annie’s heart. With unconditional love, she decided to adopt Lady in 2017.
Since then, Annie and Lady learned things together. Annie’s previous job gave her a bit of knowledge on how to take care of Lady. From finding out the best nappies and what needs to be done when Lady gets UTI or spasms of her hind legs, to everything that a disabled pet needs.
Together, Annie and Lady learned how to create a “new normal way of life.” Lady embraced her life with her new fur mum and is now happy that someone like Annie loves her wholeheartedly.
Disability and Independence
Disabled dogs, like people in a wheelchair, have their special needs. They need to get back their stance and freedom. Wheelchairs and carts help them regain their mobility and so do ramps. Ramps allow them to have access on paths, cars or to simply roam in and around their home with ease and confidence.
Because Annie also had a spine operation, lifting Lady up to her car would put a strain on her back. She realised that getting a pet ramp would be the perfect solution to avoid risking her back as well as getting Lady into the car a lot more comfortable. Just recently, Annie got a new ramp for her and she was able to learn how to use it properly in no time. Annie found the trifold ramp perfect, easy to lift, move and put into place for the dogs.
Aside from Lady, Annie also has a dog named Betty. Betty was also adopted by Annie from Aussie Dessert Dog as a little pup with her own special needs. The vet was unsure if she was blind, had neurological development delay or both. One thing is for sure, she would need some extra special love and care and the loving Annie was perfect for that role.
Just like Lady, Betty is growing and making progress each day despite her disability.
Both dogs are now using the ramp with ease, and Annie can tell Lady and Betty are happy getting back their independence. They both feel proud of independently getting into the car on their own. With their new ramp, both dogs find freedom in their day to day activities, making their lives and Annie’s too, so much easier.
Lessons from Disabled Pets
Lady and Betty are now happy in their forever home. Although both of them have medical and physical challenges, they are showing us all how to live life to the fullest, regardless of obstacles and hurdles. The love and care from the people around them, like Annie, play a big part in making their lives whole again.
“People tell me that I am so kind for taking care of these dogs but in reality, these two dogs teach me to be happy and patient and love even the small things. Lady specially taught me to be a better person.” - Annie Whitlocke
Disabled pets are like humans too and when someone decides to keep them and care for them, it’s an act of courage and kindness. The love and care that they receive from us, they give back in ways only the heart will understand. Seeing how disabled pets not only manoeuvre through life but thrive when they are given the opportunity is such a gem of motivation.
A dog ramp is an integral part of a disabled or senior dog's life. Are your pets suffering from mobility problems? Contact our ramp experts now and we will assist you in finding the best ramp for your fur babies.
