Let me tell you about a little Shitzu named "Georgie" who lives in Vancouver, Canada. Recently, I was exhibiting at a large pet show in Vancouver, Canada and I had walked out of the exhibit looking for somewhere to have lunch when I saw a lady walking towards me pulling a little wagon.

Sitting up in the wagon, surrounded by blankets and towels, was a little black and white dog. No-one pulls their dog around in a wagon if it can be led on a leash, so I approached the lady and asked her about her dog. Yes, indeed "Georgie" was paralyzed, and had been that way all his 1 1/2 years. having been dropped as a puppy and suffered spinal damage.

I informed her that there were wheelchairs for pets and she said that she was on her way to K-9 Carts, so I introduced myself and we walked back to the booth together. I knew I had only brought a very few carts with me to the show and I was hoping that one would fit "Georgie". Luck was with us, for after measuring "Georgie" we realized that with a few minor adjustments, we did have a cart for him.

I could tell the owner was a little apprehensive but yet excited at the thought of Georgie being mobile. She took Georgie out of his wagon and he sat there with his legs stretched out behind him. - always a sad sight! We put Georgie in his cart. He did not move one inch. I could tell his owner was disappointed, but I wasn't for I knew that what was about to happen to this little dog was going to change his outlook on life forever! Understand, we had a little dog who had never stood in an upright position in his whole 1 1/2 years of life. We were still watching him but he was content to stand completely still even though his owner was trying to coax him to walk.

Just then a lady passed by leading a white Poodle with a pink bow in its hair. This was too much for Georgie! He may not have been able to walk himself but he was, after all, an otherwise healthy male dog! He took a couple of tentative steps towards this vision of loveliness and then a couple more - of course by this time she had passed by him so he ran after her in his K-9 Cart. He glanced around once to see what was following him but kept on going. When the poodle saw Georgie charging towards her, I think she realized that he was a beginner driver so she ran around behind her owner. This did not stop Georgie, who promptly ran over the owner's feet and subsequently caused chaos for a few moments! Since he had obviously learned how to run in his cart, we took him down into the large exhibit ring accompanied by some children who had been watching everything. Georgie's owner said he liked to go after tennis balls so the children started throwing balls in all directions. Georgie started tearing around at top speed, his hair flying, his ears flapping, his pink tongue hanging out, his eyes bright and alert and his head twisting from side to side as if not to miss one moment of excitement!

You could tell that he could not decide what to do - chase or fetch balls, just fly around the ring or run back and fourth between his owner and the children. He was in a fever of excitement! You could practically hear him saying - This what I have missed! - This is the life! - What shall I do next? Boy am I having fun! Now I can do what I want to do and go where I want to go!

Drawn by the children's voices and laughter, people were gathering around the ring to watch this little dog so full of joy and obvious happiness tearing around. Everyone was smiling and laughing and I know my eyes were wet. It was a wonderful moment! His owner came over to me, hugged me and kept saying thank you over and over again.

That is what K-9 Carts is all about - experiencing joy and happiness knowing that every single day of our lives we have created these feelings and improved quality of life for pets and their owners. We don't get to see every pet we help, but we know that out there somewhere in the world, there is a pet and their owner happier because we are here and we truly care!

Reprinted with permission from K-9 Carts