Families will always do their best to keep their dogs happy. And the Blacksher family of Lincoln, Nebraska easily proves this.
The Blackshers have a corgi named Ash. The said corgi has been exploring the great outdoors with his family for more than a decade. However, the Blackshers have noticed that Ash is slowing down due to a condition.
Sadly, that condition will keep Ash from enjoying the outdoors, especially during winter. With that, the dog’s dad named Todd has decided to create a customized pet wheelchair. This is one gift that brings Ash back to puppyhood!
Ash’s condition
About a year ago, the family took the senior corgi to Iowa State for an MRI. There, it was found out that Ash had Degenerative Myelopathy or DM. This condition caused the dog to lose strength in his back legs. The Blackshers then realized that it was time to start familiarizing Ash with a wheelchair.
Another corgi owner who lost their pup to DM gave the Blackshers a wheelchair. According to Todd, Ash didn’t take too long before he got used to the wheelchair. Despite that, some mobility challenges arise due to the wheelchair’s inflexibility.
Ash’s snow wheelchair
Before it was discovered that Ash had DM, the pup loved running at top speed into the snow. Ash’s love of snow started when he was a tiny puppy.
However, moving in the snow with a wheelchair proved to be quite problematic. Thankfully, Todd happened to be an engineer – and he had an ingenious solution!
Todd created ski attachments to his dog’s wheelchair. With the ever-changing season in the state the Blackshers lived in, Todd knew that the skis should be removable. After finishing the design, he printed the parts through his 3D printer. That way, he could check if the new feature would actually work.
Once Todd was done with testing, he applied some minor tweaks and then finally 3D-printed the parts. Now, the senior corgi plays in the snow with ease. Ash manages to unleash his puppy energy once again!
Image Source: Todd Blacksher via Facebook