Service Dog Forced To Stay Off Injured Leg Scores Some Wheels

In Temple, Texas, dog mom Isabella Carruth and her Belgian Malinois Dante sought help to save him from an expensive surgery. And thanks to the goodness of Texas dog lovers, Dante has found a wheelchair that will keep him off his injured leg while still allowing him some freedom to move.

Dante’s trouble began when he hurt his foot during a regular game of fetch in the yard. And when he didn’t shrug it off, Isabella knew her boy had a bigger problem than it first seemed. A trip to his veterinarian revealed Dante had done some real damage. The hard-working dog required time off his leg, or he risked further injury, one that would require major repair.

A Dog Who Helps Others

In an interview with 6 News KCEN, Isabella explained that Dante usually gets over injuries quickly, but his veterinarian told her this time was different.

“The doctor was like, ‘hey, you’re going to be getting I think a good four to five months of recovery,'” said Isabella.

And any weight put on the leg could create the need for surgery that could run up to $4,000. The news quickly put his life on hold. But Dante is used to being a dog on the go.

His mom suffers from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and reactive hypoglycemia and Dante is a huge help to her, with Isabella sharing, “I can rollover, and if I’m at a resting rate of like 72, it can go up to like 140. Sometimes my heart rate’s 180, so like I have to take medicine and he’s able to retrieve that for me.”

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In addition to helping Isabella, Dante spends time as a therapy dog for the Bell County 911 Call Center. Being out of the walking game has seriously curtailed his time helping others, something this good boy loves to do. And his mom wanted to give this good dog back the special treatment he gives to others. So, Isabella inquired about purchasing a wheelchair to help Dante stay active while recovering.

“Even though he does pull me in my wheelchair when I utilize it, he also just increases my way of living and so that’s why I wanted him to have the wheelchair, so I can do the same for him because he does it for me every day.”

But she ran into issues.

“A majority were for extra small, small dogs,” said Isabella. “At the end of the day, this is a dog that’s made to move, so being able to safely give him that option would be fantastic.”

She could find nothing in the size Dante needed.

Happy on Wheels

But the news report by 6 News brought great news for Dante and a connection with dog mom Mary Lee. As Isabella shared on Facebook, Mary “was able to donate her beloved Boxer’s chair!!”

From hopping like a “pogostick” to riding in a wagon, Dante is now fitted to his new chair, which “has taken about 70% of his weight off that rear leg.” He’ll soon be able to take short walks again on his slow progress toward healing. But with some mobility back, Dante is happy to be helping his mom while she helps him.