Sophie's Ride

 All dogs love being outdoors, even my paralyzed dog Sophie. She was used to going on daily walks before her illness and she still craved the sights and smells of our neighborhood. The desire to keep her mobile led to a whole series of vehicles I bought for her to try. The one she liked best was a doggie stroller called DoggyRide.

In my travels around town I noticed dogs being pushed in strollers. I had already tried a wagon and a wheelchair for Sophie, but she was afraid of both. The stroller idea seemed perfect because it was enclosed and I thought that would make her feel safe.

The only problem was the strollers I saw, were fitted for small dogs and Sophie weighed 50lbs. Then one day I saw a woman pushing her disabled dog in a large cart. She explained that it was originally intended to be attached to the back of a bicycle so pet owners could take their dogs for a ride. She had adapted it for her dog. She suggested I contact DoggyRide to see if a bicycle cart could be made for Sophie.

It turned out that DoggyRide had already realized how their carts could be beneficial for handicapped pets. Their website offered a model with a front wheel and handles so it could function as an oversized stroller.

I immediately bought one and it was a godsend for Sophie. The cart was easy to put together and very sturdy.

My dog could sit inside comfortably and have room to move around while I pushed her through the neighborhood. She felt safe inside the screened-in cart. She absolutely loved her giant red stroller and we used it nearly every day until the time came when Sophie couldn’t sit up on her own.

I have wonderful memories of her happily hanging her head out the front of the stroller so she could see other dogs or say hi to a neighbor. The DoggyRide cart was one small victory in the attempt to make my paralyzed pup feel more like a normal dog.

I hope you’ll follow more of Sophie’s stories at: Lessons From A Paralyzed Dog

This guest post has been submitted by Sharon Sheltzer of  "Life From A Paralyzed Dog." If you have a guest post of your own that you'd like to see on our blog, please email Samantha at babyandthechis@gmail.com