A tortoise which was disabled in a traffic accident can now zip around faster than ever thanks to a new wheelchair.
Scoot Reeves was left partially paralyzed with a cracked shell when he was hit by a truck in April and abandoned on the roadside.
The hardy tortoise was rescued by a passerby, who rushed him to Hillman Veterinary Clinic in Pensacola, Florida, USA, for emergency treatment.
Veterinary technician Sasha Corbett was determined to help Scoot, even though her colleagues were concerned about his quality of life following the accident.
Sasha, 34, felt equipped to cope with a disabled pet as her pooch Rosalie is also a wheelchair user due to a birth defect.
The animal lover got in touch with Walkin’ Pets, a business which designs and fits disabled pets with nifty wheelchairs who designed Scoot’s new wheels.
Sasha, of Milton, Florida, USA, said: “Scoot Reeves came to us recently after he was injured by a front loader that cracked his shell and left his back legs paralyzed.
“The doctor wasn’t sure he would have much of a quality of life and there was a possibility he would have to be euthanized.
“I immediately begged him to try and I joked we could build him a wheelchair.”
The rescued tortoise was fitted with his wheelchair earlier this month and has been zipping around Sasha’s garden even since.
Sasha said: “We got in touch with Jason Parker of Gunnar’s Wheels Foundation who connected us with HandicappedPets.com who helped design a specialty wheelchair just for him.”
Mark Robinson, of Amherst, New Hampshire, who founded Walkin’ Pets in 2001, said: “I was thrilled my company was able to help Scoot.”
“To see any animal take their first steps our wheelchairs always warms my heart.”
Scoot was given his wheelchair for free because he was the first tortoise to be fitted with one by the company, but the device usually retails at $99 USD.