A golden retriever abandoned by her owners after breaking her spine has found a new family – and now rolls about in a custom pink wheelchair.
Olivia fell off a flagstone when she was only three months old and fractured her spine – paralysing her from the neck down.
When vets refused to euthanise her, the owners put her up for adoption – when she was rescued by kind-hearted Mariana Camargo de Oliveira, 36.
Now, the four-year-old dog is thriving and has her own bright pink wheelchair, with matching accessories, and swimming pool.
Mariana, from Sorocaba, Brazil, said: “When I adopted her she couldn’t move, she didn’t even have the strength to drag herself.
“The chair gave Olivia hope and a lot of freedom, today she is able to run and feel the wind on her face again.”
Her bright pink wheelchair has four wheels and supports her from the side, allowing her to keep up with her three puppy siblings; Sid, Sun and Jade.
In March 2018, at just three months old, Olivia was playing in her new home when she fell and fractured her spine.
According to Mariana, her then-owners opted for euthanasia but the vets refused, so they put her up for adoption.
“I was shocked by the lack of love and empathy from the family, and I felt something stronger than me, as if she was already mine,” she said.
“As soon as I adopted her, we bought her the wheelchair.”
Olivia was given seven long months of rehabilitation with lots of physiotherapy to help her gain enough muscle to be able to support her body in the chair.
She now uses the chair for her daily walks, and the 30kg pooch has to be lifted in by Mariana and her husband Eduardo Palota, 38.
She also has to wear a cloth nappy, but this doesn’t bother her loving family.
“She still looks beautiful and stylish!” said Mariana, who works in social media.
“Olivia’s personality is unique, she has a willpower and a joy that are beyond our understanding.
“She loves to ride in the chair, likes to swim and ride in the car.
“We don’t abandon our four-legged children, Olivia today represents life, overcoming and lots of love!”
