For those of us who have been blessed with a dog who gets around in a wheelchair we know what those wheels have meant for our dogs.

Freedom. Quality of Life.

More time on earth to smell the flowers. Chase bunnies and squirrels.

Smell all the funkiness of spring. Plow through fluffy snow.

Go for walks parading down the street as if to say, “Hey look world!  I can roll and I love life!”

Curl up at our owner’s feet.

Before Frankie passed last June, I recall looking at her wheelchair leaning against the living room wall. I couldn’t bear to look at them knowing she would soon be moving on and would no longer need them. Those wheels would never turn again with her wee small body in it, her stout front legs leading the way.

I was reminded of this again when my friend Kim, whose blog, Pugs and Pics I follow, did a post about her dog Vader’s wheelchair. Vader has been gone for some time now, and he was only able to use his wheels for a few months. But those months gave him a quality of life he would not have had otherwise. She recently wrote about finally having the courage to gift those wheels to a friend whose pug who needed them.

Her friend was apprehensive about getting a wheelchair. But Kim finally encouraged her to give Vader’s a try.

A few days later her friend wrote to her:  You wouldn’t believe how FAST Shimmie gets going in Vader’s chair. (Forgive me when someday I refer to it as Shim’s. That is bound to happen).

Kim wrote back, “I’m so happy Jane! And no worries. It’s Shimmie’s now.”

Tears instantly filled my eyes reading this. I remember the pit at the bottom of my stomach and how my heart hurt looking at Frankie’s wheels after she passed… still and silent. But one thing that kept me going through that grief was knowing I would set out one day to fill those wheels once again.

To give another little one a chance. A quality of life. Freedom. That the sound of wheels rolling through my house would someday be heard again.

Watching Joie experience the wheels for the first time,  that were once Frankie’s, now fitted for her, was once again like watching Frankie walk and roll for the first time.  Joie’s ears flying back, her tiny legs moving as fast as a centipede, off she went, to explore the world. To be a dog. To give life again to a dog wheelchair.

 Photo credit:  Barry Adams with WI State Journal for recent article he wrote about me and Joie.

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If you have a wheelchair that is not being used, please consider donating it back to the company you got it from. Often times they can refurbish them and use them for another dog in need.

Here are some other ideas:

Sanctuaries that care for disabled animals such as LoveyLoaves Animal Sanctuary.

Donate to a dog rescue.

Donate to a local animal university.

Donate to your local vets office.

Donate to your local humane society.

If you have other ideas please add them in a comment below!