Dog News

Paralyzed Dog Regains Mobility With $40 DIY Doggy Wheelchair

by Katherine

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Benny, short for Benito, is a three-year-old Pomeranian from Victorville, California. He was a normal, happy dog, but one day he woke up paralyzed. His owner, Brianna Ibarra, rushed him to a vet clinic and learned the dog’s paralysis could be reversed, however, it would cost her $8,000.

Ibarra was devastated when she found out she couldn’t afford the surgery her beloved dog needed to regain his mobility. Veterinarians informed her Benny could live his life without the surgery but needed a wheelchair, and when the woman researched doggy carts online, she was crushed to learn it would cost her $1,000 to get one. She couldn’t afford that either.

Not having the funds for either surgery or wheelchair, the pet owner was at a loss. Thankfully, James Stewart Paniagua, Ibarra’s boyfriend, came to the rescue and earned the title of best boyfriend and pet lover ever when he manufactured a custom doggy wheelchair for just $40.  Paniagua couldn’t let her sweetheart agonize over the health of the pet, so he took it upon himself to learn how to make an affordable wheelchair.

 
 
Photo credit: James Stewart Paniagua
Photo credit: James Stewart Paniagua
 
 

“I needed a doggy wheelchair pretty bad and didn’t have the funds to shell out thousands of dollars,” he told Victor Valley News.

With the help of YouTube, a trip to the hardware store and Walmart, the innovative man spent $40 dollars on PVC pipes, nuts, bolts, super glue, Velcro and a scooter to make Benny his very own custom wheelchair.

Thanks to the DIY instructional video and the wheels from the Walmart scooter, the paralyzed dog is free again to move on his own.

Benny might need some getting used to when it comes to maneuvering around with his new sets of wheels, but he is happy to be on the move again.