A paralyzed rescue dog named Benjamin was able to get back on his feet with the help of a custom wheelchair built for him.
Dog rescuers never thought Benjamin the goldendoodle would ever walk after doctors discovered he was paralyzed, but a custom wheelchair is helping him make his first steps.
Benjamin, a 3-month-old goldendoodle known affectionately as "Benny," was born with a spinal abnormality that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down.
When he was just two weeks old, his breeders gave him to Bosley Place, a Georgia-based dog rescue that takes in orphaned puppies and helps nurse them.
After caring for him and bottle-feeding him in his early weeks, Bosley's Place then matched Benny with a foster family at The Tucker Farm.
"He absolutely lives in the moment and doesn't think about his differences," Beth Williams, a foster parent for Bosley's Place, said in a YouTube video explaining Benny's condition. "He just thinks about what he does have."
The pup is still able to move his back legs but because of his spinal injury, it is difficult for him to lift his torso above the ground.
So when Walkin' Pets, a wheelchair company, offered to build Benny a customized walker, his caretakers at The Tucker Farm were ecstatic.
"I love his independence with his wheels. We are often outside here, so the way he's able to move freely and get what he needs is life-changing for all of us. Benny doesn't seem to spend time feeling sorry for his handicap but delights in what he has," Williams said in a statement.
Benny is now able to run and play with other dogs and even take a dip in shallow water streams.
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