Remember how excited you were when you got your first set of wheels? We bet dollars to donuts it was nothing compared to Pigeon’s reaction!
When she was living with her first family, Pigeon the pit bull was paralyzed in a car accident. Just a few months later, she was adopted by a loving family who was so committed to getting her on her feet again that they enrolled her in a physical therapy and rehabilitation program at Fetch Canine Rehab in Savannah, Georgia.
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It took months of hard work (disguised as play)…
And lots of aquatherapy sessions…
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But she didn’t give up, and before long, this sweet girl finally had enough strength to move, dragging herself around with her front legs. But her owner Erica could tell she was frustrated. How was she supposed to run around and play with her other four-legged siblings?
So, last December, Erica got her a custom-made wheelchair. And from that very first moment, “Pigeon truly acted as if her chair was an extension of her body.”
Look at her go!
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“The second we put her in a wheelchair, she became a different dog,” she said. “Most dogs don’t take to their wheelchairs immediately … She will literally bark at us to put her in it, she loves it so much.”
Pigeon’s a poster child for all those attributes we admire: strength, courage, a positive attitude, and willingness to face obstacles head-on. And she puts them on full display during her work as a therapy dog for paralyzed veterans who are coming to terms with their own disabilities and facing similar obstacles.
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It’s so amazing and positive to take her on a walk and watch people’s reaction. She’s a very happy and energetic dog, and her personality is just infectious!
Pigeon wouldn’t be zooming around now and inspiring others if it weren’t for the folks at her old rehab center, so she makes it a point to stay in touch. She even helps inspire their other clients who are heading down the same path she traveled not so long ago. Here she is, looking like she’s chariot racing with one of those clients, Birdie, who was recently outfitted with her own wheelchair:
Pigeon’s come a long way since she took her new wheels out for that first spin at Fetch Canine Rehab but her initial reaction to running again is too good to miss. Watch it below and be sure to share with someone who needs a smile today!
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