Lucy, a Rescued Dog
Lucy, a cute black dog with a bright blue tongue, was born in Puerto Rico. Hit by a car and left by the side of the road to die, she was rescued by the Second Chance Animal Rescue and, after almost giving up hope, by a woman in Peterborough, NH. In October 2008 she was named “HandicappedPets.com Official Mascot” and given a new Walkin’ Wheels dog wheelchair.
Bonnie Lucas, Director of the Second Chance Animal Rescue in Puerto Rico was in a store buying feed when the store owner pointed to a stray dog huddled next to a wall for protection. The dog had been hit by a car and left to die.
Without hesitation, Bonnie scooped her up and promised her a brighter future. After an emergency vet visit, they found multiple fractures that were not repairable – she would live her life without the use of her hind legs.
Lucy recovered at the Second Chance Animal Rescue where they found her an old, used dog wheelchair which was flown in from the U.S. She was so fast in the chair that they had to order replacement parts to keep it together.
Ella corre como el viento! She runs like the wind!
Video Transcript:
“Hi, my name is Lucy. When I was five years old, I was walking down the streets of Puerto Rico, and I was hit by a car. I was outside a feed store, and just left there to die. Nobody came to pick me up. And a woman from the Second Chance Sados [?] was there to buy feed and saw me, and instead of just letting me die on the side of the road, she took me in, and brought me to the rescue, and healed me, and got me a wheelchair so that I could play around with the other dogs and run. And they decided that they maybe they should try and find me a home, so I was put on the internet to see if anybody wanted to adopt me. A lady from New Hampshire saw me and fell in love with me, and decided that she should bring me to New England and make New Hampshire my forever home!”
“HandicappedPets.com is also based in New Hampshire! We were looking for a dog to be our mascot, our representative — showing the world that handicapped dogs can live great lives. Lucy was the perfect dog. She’s such an inspiration! She’s a symbol of resiliency, and strength, and hope. HandicappedPets.com gave her a new set of wheels to replace the duct-taped model she was getting around in. Lucy now races around in a state-of-the-art Walkin’ Wheels dog wheelchair! Now she has a set of wheels that fits her just right. And the Walkin’ Wheels makes life easier for her caretaker too. Walkin’ Wheels is lightweight and adjustable, and when she’s not in it, her caretaker can fold it flat for easy storage. Walkin’ Wheels gives Lucy freedom! She can run and play just like any other dog. She doesn’t seem to notice that she’s got wheels for hind legs. Freedom, hope… yep, HandicappedPets.com found the perfect dog. Because perfection isn’t found in the perfect life — it’s all about how you live it!”
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Lucy was at the rescue in Puerto Rico for some time and had settled in as one of their “rescue dogs,” meaning that she was going to live out her life there. Then hurricane season hit and it got very muddy – Lucy was having trouble navigating in the mud with her chair. So they sent her to be taken care of briefly at the home of a very active volunteer on the island named Deb.
All of them had assumed that Lucy was too tied to her new life to be torn away from the rescue after such a traumatic start, but she flourished at Deb’s home with the one-on-one attention. They decided that Lucy could be put up for adoption if someone was willing to accept her into their home.
Lucy spent several months up on Pet Adopttion websites and was ready to give up . . .and then one day Courtney sent an email asking about her.
Through coordinated efforts with Wynn Dog Rescue in Jaffrey, NH, Lucy found her match. She was flown on a cargo plane, met by the Wynn Dog Rescue team, and placed in caring hands. A true success all the way around and the reason why we all do what we can for those without a voice. Lucy arrived with her wheelchair sent from Puerto Rico. She is so fast in it, it’s truly a joy to watch her go. Lucy is about two years-old now.
Lucy has a very full, active life. She walks/runs with Courtney all the time around Peterborough, NH, and has made herself and Courtney into local celebrities. She has dog friends and an extended human family.
October 2008
It’s the American Humane Society’s “Adopt -a-Dog” Month and HandicappedPets.com ‘adopts’ Lucy as their mascot. They replace her duct-taped, delapidated wheelchair with one of their new, adjustable, Walkin’ Wheels ™ dog wheelchair. Channel 9 news and CNN pick up the story.