Veera, a four-year-old dog in Coimbatore, which used to hobble along due to injuries in its legs, has now got a wheelchair, custom made for it by an animal lover who has adopted him. Moved by the plight of Veera, whose hind legs were disabled possibly due to animal abuse, Gayathri an IT employee assisted by her mechanical engineer father built a small wheelchair for him.
Gayathri says she adopted four-year-old Veera from a shelter home in the city and bought it home during the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
“I have always loved dogs since I was a child. However, due to my studies, I was not able to spare time and so could not have a pet dog. During the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown I am pursuing my job from home and have time now. I felt it was the right time to buy a dog. I adopted a dog from the rescue home whose both legs were removed due to an accident.
“My father, who is also a mechanical engineer, decided to design a wheelchair for him,” she added.
The wheelchair connected to the strap of the dog’s harness allows Veera to sit and walk using his front legs. The tyres of the wheelchair are a bright yellow and Gayathri’s father Kashi added an artificial plastic cup leg fashioned out of PVC pipe along with a shoe and padding to make it easier for the dog to walk and sit.
“Despite seeing many dogs at the rescue home, we chose this dog because this dog was not getting adopted by anyone. It seemed like a case of animal abuse and he wasn’t getting adopted or fostered as he was disabled which is why we decided to get him home,” Gayathri’s father said.
Kashi says the dog now needs to be trained on how to use the wheelchair. For now, however, Veera seems to be happy.
“Now, he is a part of our family. We are happy,” he said.
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