Harnessing the love
Inventive dog owner to rescue
A GOLD Coast pet owner has gone above and beyond for his beloved four-legged companion after his dog was diagnosed with a neurological disorder.
Jake Lemon’s purebred American Akita couldn’t walk last week after his hind paw began to curl underneath itself – so he created a homemade device which allowed him to walk again.
Mr Lemon said he noticed 10-year-old Achilles, affectionately known as Chillie, started falling over and couldn’t get back up about two weeks ago.
When he took him to the vet, he was told Chillie probably had neurological spinal damage.
This meant even though Chillie’s brain was telling him to move the paw, he couldn’t.
“I walked past him ... and he’s all there in his head, but his body is letting him down,” Mr Lemon said, adding he wanted to improve his furry mate’s quality of life.
“I could never sit quietly and accept the cards he’d been dealt with. Something can always be done, you just have to think laterally.”
So the savvy owner grab- bed a few items from Bunnings and boots purposemade for dogs who shuffle their paws.
He said he attached a key ring to the front of the boot, which was then attached to elastic physio cord. The cord was then attached to a chest harness, which provided the right movement to get Chillie to lift up his paw and move it forward.
Mr Lemon said the device allows Chillie to walk and get around the house by himself, which was also “awesome” for his mental wellbeing.
“I can’t wait to show (the vet),” he said. “Lots of people say it’s a good idea.”
Chillie’s regular vet, who was supportive of the idea, was unavailable for comment. TWO men were injured when an army truck rolled on the Bruce Highway north of Brisbane yesterday morning.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said one man suffered serious head injuries and was taken to hospital. The other man escaped with minor injuries.
The truck rolled at Bells Creek when a tarpaulin caught in its driveshaft and locked the wheels, according to a witness.