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After being left to die, this adorable pooch is inspiring others with his zest for life. Henry, a fluffy toy poodle, was paralysed after being attacked by another dog a few years ago.
But since finding his forever home, the golden-haired hound is happily whizzing through life in a tiny wheelchair, spreading joy wherever he goes.
Henry Wee Wheels as he’s known on Instagram, is a little survivor. The pooch was left for dead at a Chinese slaughterhouse when his spinal cord was severed during the horrific dog fight. With little hope left, his previous owners abandoned him at a shelter.
Henry was treated with the help of non-profit organisation Harbin Slaughterhouse Survivors (HSS), welfare activists who rescue animals from the meat trade and medical-testing facilities in China.
Though they nursed him back to health, he still can’t use his back legs and needs to wear a nappy. But that didn’t stop Sharon Warnock from adopting him. When Sharon (56) saw pictures of the poor stray on social media, she knew she needed to help him.
“He was so helpless,” she says. “I thought I have time on my hands to work with him and give him what he needs.”
Sharon didn’t think twice about forking out €700 (R12 000) to have him flown to her home in Ireland. She also managed to raise funds for a custom titanium wheelchair. “The wheelchair gives him freedom, it's a complete game-changer and it allows him to be able to do the things that other dogs do.”
Now there’s no stopping the plucky poodle who loves speeding through the park on a muddy day with his new family. "My whole family race motorbikes, so I go to all the races and Henry goes with me in his little wheelchair. The bikers are forever taking selfies with him,” Sharon says. "He's their wee mascot."
When he’s not rolling around with his biker friends, Henry works as a therapy dog at local schools. “He’s teaching children that the impossible can be achieved,” Sharon says proudly.
“He's a joy to have around. I feel quite lucky to have him really because he’s such a happy dog – nothing stands in his way.”
SOURCES: THEDAILYMAIL.CO.UK, BELFASTTELEGRAPH.CO.UK, THESUN.IE, IRISHPOST.COM
