A paralysed dog has been described as running like the wind when he is in his wheelchair and is so quick, his owner sometimes struggles to keep up.
The Jack Russell was injured in an accident back in 2016 but that hasn’t stopped him from living life to the fullest.
11-year-old Scrappy runs in his specialist wheels and is often so fast 'you can’t grab him'.
Despite not being able to jump and somersault like he used to, Scrappy is a "happy, joyful and playful dog" and his favourite thing to do is run up and down Crosby Beach.
Owner Amy Smith, 37, based in Runcorn, got Scrappy with her partner Jon, 39 when he was a puppy in 2009.
Speaking to TeamDogs she said: “He was a healthy little dog and full of energy.
“When we saw him in the box, the name ‘Scrappy’ from Scooby Doo came to mind - and Jon loved it as much as I did.
"It suited him perfectly.”
Scrappy loved to jump, run and play with his toys. Then in 2016, he suffered a sudden accident at six years old that changed his life forever.
He was playing in the garden one Sunday evening with his siblings, 14-year-old Jack Russell, Toffee, and four-year-old labradoodle Rocky.
“Suddenly, Scrappy’s back leg went all funny and started wobbling. My heart sank and my gut knew something was wrong,” Amy said.
Jon took Scrappy straight to the emergency vet, who said they believed Scrappy had sprained his legs.
“Scrappy was a really jumpy dog. He used to somersault and hop on and off the bed. That night, he couldn’t jump up, so I slept with him on the floor,” Amy said.
After seeing no improvement, Amy took Scrappy to the vets the following morning.
“He suspected Scrappy had ruptured a disc in his spine, so we went to see a local specialist.”
Further scans and X-rays confirmed the ruptured disc.
“We were told there was a chance Scrappy may never regain sensation in his back paws.”
There was a heartbreaking chance that Scrappy would never walk again.
“We were given the option to euthanise Scrappy or keep him - as long as we were willing to care for a disabled dog.
“Jon and I left the appointment and looked at each other. We both knew we wanted to give him a chance.”
Scrappy had to have an operation, and when Amy and Jon went to visit him, all he wanted to do was play with them.
Amy and Jon took Scrappy to hydrotherapy and physical therapy nearly every day for six weeks - but nothing helped.
“We had to accept that he’d be paralysed forever.”
Two months down the line, Amy discovered a specialist medical brand called Walkin’ Wheels, found a supplier in London. and bought Scrappy his own stylish miniature dog wheelchair.
She says he took to the wheels straight away and was filled with joy watching Scrappy scoot around the garden again, and run up and down the beach.
While Scrappy could no longer jump, somersault or climb the stairs, his quality of life was restored.
Amy said: “His wheels have changed his life.
“He still gets out every day and flies everywhere.
“We have to take them off in the house because he crashes into the doors. Sometimes he’s so quick, you can’t grab him!”
Amy describes Scrappy as a “happy, joyful and playful dog”.
“He is a big sweetheart but can also be a really grumpy old man.
“Sometimes, I could just look at him and he’ll growl - it makes me laugh!”
Speaking of her personal experience owning a disabled dog, Amy said: “It was hard adjusting at first but because Scrappy is so little, we can pick him up and carry him around everywhere.”
As Scrappy has no feeling from the waist down, he is incontinent and Amy and Jon have to help him express his bladder.
“It’s like having a baby,” Amy said. “He gets so anxious about it, which makes me sad.”
Despite all of the challenges, Scrappy lives his life to the fullest.
“He is happiest when he’s scooting around in the garden or running on Crosby Beach,” Amy said.
