Gunnar�s Wheels Puts Dogs Back On Their Feet

For black Lab Gunnar, taking a walk means taking out the wheels. Rendered paraplegic after being struck by a truck in 2014, the 9-year-old wonder dog needs some mobility help, but he provides plenty of his own determination.

“You get him in the cart and he’s off,” marvels owner Jason Parker. “He’s a speed demon. If this happened to me, I’d be going crazy, but he’s dealt with it.”

Parker was devastated when he got the call about the accident almost three years ago, rushing to meet his wife, Stephanie, at the vet and discovering his beloved dog bleeding and immobile. After an initial examination in Parker’s hometown of Osseo, the couple took Gunnar to the University of Minnesota for an operation on his spine, followed by a second visit to remove surgical pins. Despite efforts to help rehabilitate the 110-pound dog using a water treadmill, laser therapy and acupuncture, Gunnar struggled to use his back legs.

So Parker’s sister created a crowd-sourcing account to help with vet bills and the purchase of a cart.

“A lot of people helped us out,” Parker said. “The generosity of people I’ve never met and will never meet is overwhelming.”