A wheelchair user, Mary understands better than anyone that dogs with disabilities have the right to have a life like any other!
Mary Garland lives at London and has had arthritis since she was 9 years old. Therefore, she uses a wheelchair. Since 2014, she has decided to help disabled dogs, offering them a new life. Today, she has 3 canines in wheelchairs, and one who is deaf.
© MyLondon
Mary improves the daily life of dogs with a complicated past
The dogs that Mary adopts have often had a very complicated past. For the most part, their disability arose as a result of an accident. There are Aarona Berger crusader who was thrown off a balcony; pongoa Japanese Spitz intended for meat consumption in Korea; or Cheeky Foxywho was run over by a car.
© MyLondon
By adopting them, and through fundraising, Mary was able to offer them beautiful wheelchairs. She also pays them for hydrotherapy sessions when necessary. Despite their difficult past, the dogs of Mary regained autonomy and above all love and happiness.
Mary fights prejudice every day
The life choice of Mary is not easy, because it is very often criticized. Some people think it’s cruel to keep disabled animals alive. The vets are the first to tell her that she should have them euthanized. “I explained to them that I wouldn’t have a sick dog – that’s another thing. But they don’t suffer at all. Alright they’re incontinent, but they still live and love life“, has explained Mary at MyLondon.
© MyLondon
“Since I’m in a wheelchair myself, I can turn around and say [aux vétérinaires] : ‘Look, I’m in a wheelchair, what do you think of me?’ They don’t know what to say, obviously.”
The second prejudice that the young woman faces is the idea that she will not be able to take good care of her dogs, knowing that she herself is in a wheelchair. To which she replies “if I can’t cope, I ask someone else to help me. I make sure that everything necessary is done.”
© MyLondon
Whether Mary makes happy dogs who have had a difficult start in life, his canines also help him in return. Having to go out for a walk with her animals keeps her spirits up. Moreover, they help him to accept his handicap. “Seeing them continue definitely helps me not fall into self-pity, depression, or wondering ‘why me?’”.
By Wendy Lonis
Web editor
An agricultural engineer by training, Wendy combines her passions for words and animals by writing for Pets-dating. A freelance web writer, she shares her home with many furry and feathered friends: an Australian Shepherd, chickens and even racing pigeons!