A dog's customized pink wheelchair worth $800 was stolen. An organization stepped in to replace it
A dog in Florida named Baby – who needs a wheelchair to move safely and use the bathroom due to a rare neurological condition – recently had her wheelchair stolen from the porch of her foster home.
The incident happened on Aug. 19 in St. Cloud, Florida, according to nonprofit organization The Pittie Party of Central Florida.
Baby, who is a senior hospice resident pit bull, received her customized wheelchair in 2023. She received the $800 wheelchair after years of unexplained symptoms and health tests revealing a progressive neurological condition called Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis, the rescue said.
"Baby received a specialized pink wheelchair that gave her back much of her mobility and independence. Because of her particular balance issues, she needs a specific type of wheelchair that keeps her properly supported and stable," the rescue said in a Facebook post.
It's unclear why the wheelchair was stolen, but it was kept on the porch of the foster home for years "because of its size and to keep it safely away from other dogs in the home," the rescue said.
Baby has been capitalizing on lots of attention after the theft.
"We decided to make sure the entire neighborhood knew exactly what went missing. So naturally, Baby got her very own giant lawn sign: 'SOMEONE STOLE HER WHEELCHAIR,'" the rescue wrote in an another social media post. "She may have lost her wheelchair, but she certainly hasn’t lost her ability to make an entrance."
Ruck9, an organization that assists disabled animals with mobility equipment, offered to provide Baby with a new wheelchair after hearing her story.
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