Cathy and the customer tried to design a chair using PVC pipe and wheels, but it seemed too bulky. Cathy brought Pro Department Supervisor Darren Ralston into the brainstorming, and he knew just what to do. Darren downloaded photos and diagrams of dog wheelchairs on the Internet and then put his own spin on the project.

“Most of the designs involved PVC, but I thought it would be too rickety. It needed to last, so I decided to make it out of metal,” Darren said.

Darren headed down the Hardware aisle and gathered aluminum flat bar and tubing, then cut and bent it to shape. Darren used long bolts to connect lawn mower wheels to the frame and attached Velcro for the strap. A coat of pink paint and four hours later, Chica’s custom ride was ready to roll.

“When the customer came back in to pick up the wheelchair, she brought Chica and the owners of the shelter. We strapped Chica in, and within minutes she was running all over Tool Rental,” Darren said.

After many hugs and more than a few tears, the customers headed out, with Chica trotting at their side.