A certain brave disabled Chihuahua has been given the award for “Underdog of the Year”. TurboRoo has been through more in less than a year of life than most dogs experience in a whole lifetime, but he’s still a bundle of playful energy, loved by his pet parents Ashley Looper and Ray Hurt.
For those of you have yet to hear the heartwarming details of TurboRoo’s rise to Social Media stardom, the spirited canine was born without his two front legs, and veterinary technician Ashley adopted him when he was four weeks old. She said;
“’I know what it takes to care for a dog as special as him because I have worked with special needs pets in the past so it was just a perfect fit and I adopted him straight away.”
Ashley and Ray constructed a first set of wheels for their new housemate, mostly out of plastic toy parts. The design wasn’t a major success, but pretty soon the little dog with the big heart was an Internet sensation, and Ashley started an online campaign to raise funds for a better set of wheels. Not only did the campaign raise $3,629 (five times more than the original target), but Ashley was also contacted by Mark Deadrick from San Diego-based 3dyn who created a very cool carriage for TurboRoo using 3D printing and skateboard wheels.
The story has definitely produced happy results, not just for TurboRoo but for other small dogs with limb defects. Previous dog carts have been too big and heavy for smaller breeds, but now Ashley, Ray and Mark have joined forces with 3D printing guru John Porteous, to create carts for other dogs as “TurboRoo Designs”. A great design idea named after a great little pooch who got his name from overcoming the odds, as parent Ray explained;
“We’re from Speedway…In the movie ‘Turbo’, a snail overcomes great odds to win the 500. When TurboRoo is crouched on the ground, he looks like a snail.”
Even better news is that Mark didn’t ask for any payment for the revolutionary cart he produced for TurboRoo, so all of the funds raised are being put towards the brave puppy’s future veterinary care costs, such as bone x-rays. TurboRoo has celebrated his achievements by becoming a Social Media star; he has over 72,000 followers on Instagram, and just this week he tweeted; “Headed to the beach! My favorite place!” while on a trip to San Diego.
We were lucky enough to meet the famous Chihuahua at the Better with Pets Summit showing how scientific innovation is changing and enhancing the lives of, and interactions between, animals and their human parents. Also at the event was Mark Deadrick, who was featured for his cart creation and who met TurboRoo face to face for the first time. Mark commented; “It was great to meet Turbo and his humans in New York, … I found it more interesting to see how much this project made others feel inspired, and I hope that inspiration can lead to others wanting to do similar projects, whether it’s for pets or humans.”
We can only say, we are in total agreement, and hope to see many more human creations that help our canine friends live happy and full lives. For more on Turboroo click here!
For the Best that Pet Lifestyle and Animal Welfare has to offer follow Wendy Diamond on Facebook, Twitter, and right here at AnimalFair.com!