Three Chihuahua puppies, born without front legs due to a genetic defect, now have what the North Shore Animal League calls “front-wheel drive.”
Venus, Carmen and Pablo, rescued by North Shore from a Virginia shelter, were equipped with two-wheeled carts that give them mobility.
The carts are fastened to the dogs with Velcro-held polar fleece padding for comfortable body support, and have lightweight foam wheels.
The carts were made by Eddie's Wheels, a company in the Berkshire Mountains village of Shelburne Falls, in western Massachusetts. The company designed the carts to be used for 10 minutes at a stretch. They eliminate some of the stress on their lower spines from walking on their hind legs and from the lack of proper posture, the animal welfare agency said.
Normal in every other way, the pups seem unaware of their disability and have accepted the challenge of their new carts much as they did the challenge to learn to balance themselves on their back legs, the League said.
The three now have a permanent home. They were adopted together by a North Shore Animal League veterinary technician.
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