Zoe’s Hot-Pink Wheelchair
Zoe is a spunky three-year old French bulldog. At home, her paralyzed back legs were no problem as she scooted over carpet. Top-heavy by nature, she bulked up by pulling herself with her shoulders.
But on vacation at Stay Pet Resort in Hanover, she was grounded on slippery concrete. She wanted to play with the other dogs but was stuck watching the action from the sidelines. Until she got fixed up with a new set of wheels.
It took a village to make Zoe mobile. A trainer helped evaluate her shoulders for the right size apparatus. The entire staff pitched ideas. Facilities manager James Cadden created a series of five inventive walking machines. Zoe tested them, giving feedback by trial and error. The one that worked is a superstructure of pink PVC pipe, rear wheels and a pink harness. It’s called Zoe’s Hot Pink Wheelchair.
“It was definitely the most rewarding thing I’ve ever built,” Cadden told Bay Weekly.
“In the group setting, it was perfect for her,” said Stay Pet owner Jodi Miller. “All the dogs just go with the flow with Zoe.”
To see the evolution of the wheelchair and a video of Zoe in action, log onto https://vimeo.com/102192394.