Little Valentine could not even lift her hind end when she arrived at Furkids as an 8 week old puppy. She scooted around on her front paws, dragging her rear. Facebook followers may recall her first set of wheels constructed by a Furkids volunteer in the garage. That got Valentine up and rolling. Then we saw what needed tweaking and eventually Valentine graduated to the Walkin' Wheels® she now uses. Not only does this wheelchair allow Valentine greater mobility and use of her four legs, but it also helped to strengthen her muscles and now Valentine is able to stand and take a few steps without her wheels! But make no mistake about this, Valentine loves her wheels! Hook Valentine up to her Walkin' Wheels and she is a force to be reckoned with! Her tail wags the whole time she's running and she can finally chase and play with other dogs. A far cry from scooting and dragging!

Valentine currently lives at our dog shelter where we can take care of her 13 hours a day with walks, physical therapy, and she even attends hydrotherapy and acupuncture once a week thanks to her guardian angels Sue, Linda and Sharon. At only 5 months old she is a growing puppy and is frustrated by her circumstances. Being one of 60 dogs at a shelter is hard - especially for a special needs dog. She really needs a foster or forever family to care for her. She loves going for walks as you can see on her video and Valentine loves toys, especially a cow that moos and she loves to play tug of war.

Valentine is a smart pup and is learning to shake hands. A rubber mat in her eating area gives her added traction so she can stand and eat on her own sometimes. We don't know what the future holds as far as whether Valentine will one day walk and run without the aid of her wheels. Unfortunately, since she doesn't have control of her bottom half, potty training might always be an issue. Her brain does not know when she needs to potty. Her progress thus far has been phenomenal and she is enjoying the things in life that any other puppy enjoys: playing with toys, going for walks, socializing with other dogs. Valentine is doing great and is ready to wheel off into her forever home or even a dedicated foster home. She is just waiting to meet that extra special adopter that can take on her challenges and love her till the end of time. If you would like to meet her in person or ask additional questions please email dogadoptions@furkids.org or call 678-624-1003.

If you want to contribute to her care please consider donating today. The cost of her physical therapy, acupuncture, , appointments and special equipment grows as she grows. We need donations to continue caring for her. Donate now and mention Valentine!