Life is No Longer a Drag for Vex

Vex was dragging herself on the streets for nearly two years.

Donation Inspired by Retired Police K-9 Helps Paralyzed Street Dogs of Romania Regain Mobility

The effort to assist a paralyzed stray dog on the streets in Romania began long before anyone took this photo or began recruiting volunteers to rescue and rehabilitate the dog now named Vex.

The effort to get Vex a wheelchair began with one woman's determination to make it possible for injured dogs on the streets in Romania to achieve the same level of mobility as her own dog did through the use of a Walkin' Wheels dog wheelchair.

Retired police K-9 Casey using Walkin' wheels dog wheelchair.

Stephanie Michaud, a K-9 police officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was so inspired by the success that her retired partner Casey had with using the Walkin' Wheels dog wheelchair that she purchased and donated one for use by the street dogs of Romania.  

In the letter accompanying Stephanie's donation to Ortovet in Bucharest, Romania, she wrote, "My heart breaks into a thousand pieces when I look at the photos of dogs and cats that have been so brutally and intentionally tortured or accidentally hit by cars and left helpless at the side of the road as people disregard helping them as they lay there to suffer and die a slow agonizing death."

Stephanie furthered explained that she hoped her donation of a Walkin' Wheels dog wheelchair could be used as a means of assisting paralyzed dogs in need of rescue.

"It is my hope that once the dog gets adopted the dog's adoptive family would obtain for the dog a new set of wheels and the wheel chair will be returned to Ortovet to be used by the next dog in need ... as there always will be another dog in need!"  

Read the complete letter from Stephanie to Ortovet here.

Vex in her borrowed Walkin' Wheels dog wheelchair

When Ortovet learned that their colleagues at Praxis Vetlife were assisting with the rescue and rehabilitation of Vex, they immediately offered to lend the Walkin' Wheels dog wheelchair.  In a few weeks, Vex will leave her borrowed dog wheelchair behind for another paralyzed dog to use as she heads for her adoptive home in New York where her very own Walkin' Wheels dog wheelchair is waiting for her.

We will continue to follow Vex's progress, and we always remember the generous spirit and caring vision of Stephanie Michaud whose commitment to honoring her former K-9 partner Casey made it possible for so many people to contribute their time, talents and treasure to help Vex to start a new life.