Dog in wheelchair scales N.H. mountain

L. Finch

Globe Correspondent

August 21, 2010

On Wednesday morning, Lucy, a 4-year-old mixed breed whose back legs were paralyzed after she was hit by a car as a pup, became the first disabled dog to scale the highest peak in the Northeastern United States.

“She just kept at it,’’ said Lucy’s owner, Courtney Dunning. “She was very determined. It blew my mind. I had no idea she had it in her.’’

Dunning, her boyfriend, and her Chihuahua-dachshund mix, Topper, accompanied Lucy on the 4,500-foot ascent.

A representative from the Nashua-based organization HandicappedPets.com and a filmmaker also climbed with them. HandicappedPets.com donated the wheelchair to Lucy two years ago.

The 7.6-mile path is mostly paved, but has some sections of gravel, said Ryan Triffitt, director of marketing for the Mount Washington Auto Road. The party took breaks along the way.

But neither the rocky terrain nor the steep slope deterred Lucy on the six-hour climb. Dunning, a marathon runner, said she had prepared Lucy all summer, training her on nearby mountains.

“All manners of ways we’ve seen people try to go up the mountain, but this is the first time we’ve ever seen a dog in a wheelchair attempt it,’’ Triffitt said.

Dunning, a 28-year-old nurse from Peterborough, N.H., said she adopted Lucy more than two years ago after seeing her photo on an animal rescue website. Lucy, who was living in a shelter in Puerto Rico, was using a hand-me-down, duct-taped wheelchair that she constantly slipped out of, Dunning said.

But in her current custom-made wheelchair, Lucy gets around “as well as a normal dog,’’ said Lisa-Marie Mulkern, a spokeswoman for HandicappedPets.com who pitched the idea for the Mount Washington climb.

Dunning said she would not rule out any more mountain escapades for the steadfast pooch.

“She’s been a lot of fun to have, and she’s given me a lot of fun adventures,’’ Dunning said. “I’m sure something will come up.’’

 

 

 

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