Paralyzed Puppy Finds New Lease on Life on Wheels

A paralyzed puppy, left beaten and abandoned on railway tracks in central Poland, has been rescued by an animal shelter, nursed back to health and given a specially adapted wheelchair trolley enabling it to run about as any puppy would.

The four month old dog, very similar to an Alsatian, was spotted by a train driver who saw it lying on train tracks with two other puppies. The man called the animal shelter after repeated attempts to raise the alarm with authorities failed.

Shelter staff said that for days trains drove over the stricken animals, beating them to a state of paralysis. Only one of the three dogs survived.

The dog has been named Ciuchcia, which in English translates as Choo Choo, as in ‘choo choo train’. She was nursed back to health and given a custom-made wheelchair trolley. She now runs about the yard chasing and playing with the shelter's feline residents.

Maria Mrozinska, who works at the shelter, said that Choo Choo’s story brought a wonderful response from the public.

[Maria Mrozinska, Animal Shelter Worker]:
"We are very happy that she's made it, that she's got her trolley. People have big hearts–we receive letters from all over the place, even from America. We get calls from people who are very happy that we have managed to help this dog. These people show us the good in society and we are all very happy."

Benefactors have even offered to pay for any treatment that could help the paralyzed puppy regain use of her legs. Choo Choo is booked for an M.R.I scan in September to see if there is any chance she might walk again.

Regardless of the outcome, Choo Choo's story has a much better chance of a happy ending now, with at least two offers of adoption already registered.