Increasingly these days we are hearing about wheelchairs being made for animals as well as people, which is a great idea. Clearly, animals also suffer if they lose their natural mobility. Guinea pigs are cute little animals who make great pets due to their placid, docile natures. Unfortunately when people leave their young children unattended around animals, it can have disastrous results. Sadly, a guinea pig called Estella was squeezed so hard by a child that her back was broken. The poor thing, along with her buddy Pip, was then abandoned by the side of the road, injured and in agony. She stayed there, unable to move, until a kind soul took her and Pip to the Calaveras County Animal Control Shelter in California.

Small docile animals like rabbits and guinea pigs are sometimes overlooked in a full and busy shelter, so it was over a month before Estella got any medical attention. Luckily for her, she was noticed by a volunteer, who contacted the Harvest Hope Animal Sanctuary for help. This dedicated organization provides lifelong care for neglected and abused animals. They were happy to make space for the two cuties, Estella and Pip, and more than that-- they wanted to find a way for Estella to regain her mobility. (As a result of the injury she has been left paralysed from the waist down).

With this in mind, they contacted Doggone Wheels, a company which specializes in making wheelchairs and other mobility aids for animals. A fundraiser was started to raise the money to pay for Estella’s wheelchair, and now? She's cruising right along.

The sanctuary manager, Christine Morrissey, told the Huffington Post that Estella is their “Comeback Kid.” The wheelchair has been designed as an exercise mechanism, to increase her level of activity and enjoyment of life. Today, she is getting around with it tremendously well, and the staff at the sanctuary are inspired by her resilience and positivity, proving what a little love can do.  

Picture courtesy of Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary