A congenital defect left three chihuahua puppies lacking their forelegs, but between an employee at the North Shore Animal League on Long Island and a company in western Massachusetts, Venus, Carmen and Pablo are three para-pups on the move with aluminum walkers and foam wheels.
The equipment only allows the three animals to walk independently for about ten minutes at a time, but if you're familiar with young animals, you probably know that's time well spent. The dog walkers were constructed by the western Massachusetts company Eddie's Wheels, which makes them to relieve the spinal stress that can result from two-legged dogs forced to walk on their hind legs.
The birth defect is allegedly the result of unregulated over-breeding, although the animals are reportedly otherwise happy and healthy. One of the vet techs at the North Shore Animal League has adopted Venus, Carmen and Pablo as her own. Donna Imhof told WCBS 2, "The day I first set eyes on them we were instantly bonded. So the dogs looked at me and said, 'We think we need help,' and I looked at them and said, 'I think I can help you,' so it's been a team."
If you'd like to read more about the three lucky dogs, with some ridiculously cute pictures, see here.
