The 2021 Walkin' Pet Calendar Contest August winner is Klara! Klara lives near Osnabrück, Germany. We asked all of our calendar contest winners to answer some questions about their FURbabys and why they decided to adopt and help disabled animals, here are Klara's parent’s answers!
Tell us about Klara!
Klara is a pretty confident lady but it takes years or *a lot* of treats to gain her trust. She probably has good reasons why she is reluctant to trust strangers. She spent the first months of her life on the streets in Southern Spain until she was rescued by an animal protection organization.
Soon after she took her first flight- directly to Germany where she found a new home and happiness with us! Since then she has traveled quite a lot. She went to France, the Baltic states, Greece, Spain, but also to the US where she joined her PAWrents on two long road trips from East coast to West coast and from New York down to Florida. She loves camping. And she loves balls. The bouncier, the better.
In February 2020 she suffered a spinal cord stroke which left her paraplegic. However, she still loves her life and keeps on traveling and exploring the world every day.
How have your dog's wheels helped their life?
Thanks to her Walkin' Wheels, she can sniff around and explore the world on her own.
This is pretty important because her human co-travelers would rather check out different things and if Klara is carried she would miss out on a lot of the interesting smells out there. Klara's parents say that her stroke hasn't impacted her mood or character, "she is as happy as ever and often forgets that her hind legs aren't working!"
What have you learned, caring for a special needs pet?
If you have a pet on wheels, you should be aware that your daily walks will take substantially longer. Not mainly because your furry friend is slower, but because you will constantly be drawn into conversations by other people who are excited about the fact that wheelchairs for dogs even exist. Many of them will be keen on hearing your pet's story. So plan accordingly when taking your wheeled pet out for a walk. By sharing Klara's story her parents are hoping that other people will be aware of the incredible canine mobility aids available, "We are constantly drawn into conversations by other people who are excited about the fact that wheelchairs for dogs even exist!"
I would not have expected that being unable to control 50% of your body has so little impact on a dog's mood and character. Klara's character has not changed a bit since the stroke. She is as happy as ever and often even forgets that her hind legs are not working. It still happens pretty often that she tries to jump up a bed or down a sofa.
Follow Klara on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/klaraonwheels/
