Friday September 19, 2008
Meet spunky Snoopy, the handicapped dog in a wheelchair
By LISA GOH
lisagoh@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: He might be paralysed from waist down, but Snoopy still loves going for his daily walks the with the aid of a wheelchair. And Snoopy’s a dog, a six-year-old terrier mix.
Snoopy’s owner, Marjan Sipsma, 43, who adopted him about two years ago, said he had met with an accident when he was a puppy, and was brought to a veterinary clinic in Brickfields.
He stayed at the clinic for four years, before Sipsma decided to adopt him as a playmate for her four other dogs — Flaky and Dribble, both of Japanese Spitz mix, Sheba, a German Shepherd and Storm, a Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Walking aid: Spisma showing Snoopy in his squad cart 'wheelchair'. “The accident left Snoopy with a stiff left hind leg, but he was still walking,” she explained.
However, months later, spinal complications caused him to have more problems and at times “he would fall and wouldn’t be able to walk at all.”
Nevertheless, Sipsma felt Snoopy deserved to enjoy a quality dog’s life — to be able to walk, run and play — and her research led her to finding a squad cart “wheelchair” for him.
“It’s not available here. I ordered it online from the United States after taking Snoopy’s measurements.
“I also ordered shoes for him as he has a tendency to walk on his knuckles and it would scrape and hurt his forelegs,” she said.
The wheelchair cost her RM1,500 and a pair of shoes set her back by another RM150, “but each pair lasts about six to eight months.”
Once, Snoopy even went charging after another dog, while in the wheelchair.
“One night, my husband and I brought all five dogs out for a walk and we didn’t see a neighbour’s dog which was out loose.
“It started charging at our dogs, and they charged back. I decided to let go of Snoopy to better handle the other dogs, since I thought he wasn’t going anywhere,” she said.
“But guess who went after that dog? Our little disabled friend here!” she said with a laugh.
Sipsma added that despite being much smaller than Storm, Snoopy would give him a “good nip” if Storm ever crossed into his “territory”, which is the area in front of the front door.
“I don’t quite know how dogs think, but to Snoopy, I think he believes he’s still alpha male.
“I don’t think he knows he’s paralysed,” she said, chuckling.
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