A thank you to the Grinnells for their wheelchairs!!
Every once in a while, I am privileged enough to come across a story and people in the story where the words, “thank you” aren’t enough. That is the case with people like Eddie Grinnell and his wife, Leslie DeGraff Grinnell. When a disability caused their 10 year old doberman to lose the use of her rear legs, Eddie Grinnell and his wife knew the dog needed time to heal from her illness and injuries. In order to help the dog be independent, while still healing, Eddie designed and built a wheelchair(cart as it was called then) that enabled Buddha to walk in the woods and resume a normal existence. The time that Buddha had to rely on her “cart” allowed her to heal to the point that within several months she was walking on her own again. That was 1989 and Buddha’s vet was so impressed with her recovery that he began referring people to Eddie for similar devices to help their dogs.
A few years later, Eddie decided to leave his full-time corporate career to devote himself to helping disabled animals full-time. He has worked with vets and animal surgeons to design and build wheelchairs for animals with various disabilities as each dog and their disability is unique. As a result, the organization known as “Eddie’s Wheels” was born and now hundreds of animals have been helped by Eddie’s creations.
Over the years the designs for the carts have been perfected by Eddie so that they can insure pet owners a couple of things. Each cart is custom designed for the size and type of dog as well as the type of disability. The carts are designed so that the dog can go to the bathroom on their own without the assistance of their owner. This helps the dog retain their independence. The carts are designed to prohibit damage to the dog’s feet and can be adjusted for height and length.
To devote your lives to helping the lives of disabled animals is a great thing. I think the efforts of Leslie and Eddie should be applauded and I would recommend checking out there site by clicking here to see the miraculous work that they do. As I said before, Leslie and Eddie, thank you!!!!
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