Carli Davidson’s passion has always been photographing animals and amongst many other projects regularly takes pictures for the Oregon Zoo. Two years ago, after seeing a German Shepherd in a wheelchair playing fetch with his owner on a beach, Carli became inspired to start her amazing photography series entitled “Pets With Disabilities.” According to Mother Nature Network, she said, “I thought a lot about this pair in the following weeks and decided I wanted to create a project showcasing these pets and telling their stories in order to show the world that they are happy, thriving companions. They are not sad, they are not in pain, and the owners and animals continue to be a great value to one another.”

Pets With Disabilities Project

Since then she has worked with lots of animals who are disabled and really captured their essence. Above you’ll see Rue, a French bulldog who has a spinal disorder and is paralyzed from the waist down. Here are some other truly beautiful pooches that are living great lives while also being disabled.

This lil’ guy is called Ramen Noodle, an apt name, we think! Before Ramen was even two years old, he had two separate accidents each resulting in the loss of a leg. That was not enough to slow this guy down though! He was running around on his hind legs only three weeks after he lost his second front leg. He has a wheelchair but likes walking on his own two feet better. For more pictures of him by Carli Davidson visit her website.

Papillo was hit by a motorcycle in Costa Rica and was, thankfully, discovered by a vet tech who flew him to Oregon for medical care. His spinal chord was severed so he won’t ever be able to use his hind legs again, but he loves his wheelchair! Papillo is 30-pound adoptable pup who loves the park and cuddling. If you love him and want to adopt him, get contact info here.

This is Inky! Inky came from a hoarder and need a wheelchair to get around. He’s adorable!

When Diego (right) was five years old, he was attacked and blinded by a coyote. His lifelong dog friend would help him navigate until he passed away and then Diego had trouble finding his way around. Diego’s owner adopted Buddy Nixon, a rescue pug, and now, the sound of Buddy’s toenails tapping help Diego find his way!

Duncan is a super cute Corgi who has a spinal disorder common to the breed pets with disabilities. Even though he can’t use his back legs, he’s still full of fun and throws toys for himself to fetch. His favorite treat is whipped cream!

Ike, the boxer, has a narrowing in his vertebrae and as a result has progressive paralysis. He scoots around on this prototype wheelchair made by Walkin’ Wheels and still gets to exercise using his front legs. He also swims and gets massages (nyc dog walker).
How amazing are all of these dogs? With lots more in the world just like Rue, Ramen Noodle and the others, Carli Davidson thinks we all can learn a ton from dogs with disabilities.
She says, “I really hope what people take away from these stories is information to make decisions for their own pets, an appreciation for the resilience of all animals, and ultimately a sense of normalcy from the photos and stories. Technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, and our relationship and compassion toward animals continues to evolve.”
Do you have a dog with a disability? Show us a picture and tell us about your pup on our Facebook Page!

Sources: All images by Carli Davidson, Info via Mother Nature Network