Custom wheelchair helps Abu Dhabi rescue dog bounce back

Despite losing one of his legs, rescue dog Captain Jack is slowly returning to his old self thanks to a custom-made wheelchair.

Captain Jack, a dog found injured and abandoned in the desert near Abu Dhabi, gets fitted for a wheelchair at Cloud9. Courtesy Animal Action

ABU DHABI // It is an all-too-common story of unwanted pets abandoned in the desert. But for Captain Jack, found close to death after being struck by a car, there is a rare happy ending.

Despite losing a leg, the dog is slowly returning to his playful self, thanks to animal lovers who bought Dh7,000, custom-made wheels for him.

Jack, believed to be a cross-breed about 10 months old, was discovered in Beda Mutawa, west of Abu Dhabi, in October by Ellen McKenzie.

She found him lying in the shade, his back legs broken.

“He was left to die but he had survived three months like this.”

Ms McKenzie took the dog to Animal Action UAE, a group that helps to find new homes for unwanted pets and pays for emergency treatment in special cases.

The group’s founder, Briton Mel Stones, took Jack after Ms McKenzie had no luck finding him a foster home.

“After a few days of trying to make Jack feel better we had one of his legs amputated, as the vet said it could not be fixed and he was in a lot of pain,” said Ms Stones. “He was on strong painkillers and spent quite a while at the vet while we searched for a foster home for him.”

They took him to Cloud9, a boarding and grooming centre and clinic in Abu Dhabi, to allow him to “start playing again and get his spirits up, as he was very depressed”.

There, he was measured for a wheelchair to help him move around and socialise with other dogs.

“Animal Action came to us as they knew we had a wheelchair that we had used for a dog that had been shot in Abu Dhabi,” said South African Mornay Theron, manager at Cloud9. He said the wheelchair was ordered from a UK company.

“It is quite unusual to use these kind of mobility devices on dogs with disabilities in the UAE,” he said. “You have to take the measurements of the dog but minor adjustments can be made to ensure it fits correctly.”

In such cases, the dogs do well in the wheelchair, which is comfortable and helps to avoid muscle problems.

“The dogs adapt almost immediately, within a day or two. They have a greater degree of movement,” Mr Theron said.

Although he is progressing well in his new home, Jack faces more uncertainty as vets say he needs a hip-replacement operation.

Surgery to insert a plastic alternative is planned for next month. The operation is expected to cost about Dh2,500 and Jack will need three months to recover.

Animal Action is caring for or finding new homes for about 85 dogs, and the vet bills have reached Dh20,000.

One dog is in isolation, and another requires knee surgery.

While the demand is never-ending, happy cases such as Jack make it worth it, Ms Stones said.

They sought to ease his mobility and cheer him up, as well as give him the support he needed to gain muscle in his remaining back leg and hip, which was also broken and healed incorrectly.

“He cheered up considerably on these outings and on his walks, and made friends with lots of other dogs,” she said.

To find out more about Animal Action UAE, or to inquire about providing a foster home for animals, visit adopt-me.ae.