A paraplegic dog has gone viral as she ditched her wheelchair to “run around like a T-Rex”. Footage of Dixie the mastiff showing off her skills is making waves on TikTok and Instagram where she has over 100,000 followers.
When Brittany Huyser, 34, first saw a picture of Dixie as a pup, there was an "instant connection". Paralysed in both her back legs since birth for unknown reasons, Dixie underwent surgery to remove them in October 2019.
Now aged five, she needs to wear a nappy as she incontinent, but is otherwise healthy. Brittany, who lives in North Carolina, USA, said adopting her was the most "meaningful" decision she's ever made.
“She’s so happy and just loves life, she doesn’t care that she has a disability," she said. "I think she just thinks she’s a normal dog and I love that.
"Adopting Dixie was the most important and meaningful decision I have ever made. She’s made me better and more empathetic. And she shows me every day that animals that have disabilities can live long and happy lives.
"She puts a smile on my face every day and all the people who follow her story online always say she has been inspired by her. Some people have even asked me if it’s real, because she looks like she’s running around like a T-Rex.”
Brittany decided to look for a dog after moving into a house with a backyard in August 2018. And her search came to an end just two weeks later, when she saw a picture of Dixie online and decided to drive to the foster home.
Their connection was immediate, according to Brittany, who said Dixie had been described to her as “very shy”. She said: "When I first saw her, she just gravitated towards me and wanted me to pet her.
“The foster parents said she was very shy but she wasn’t at all. She let me pick her up and play with her. She was warm, loving and playful.”
A week later, Brittany officially adopted little Dixie. Sadly, the dog’s back legs continued to drag behind her as she was paralysed and she began to suffer with wounds and infections, despite Brittany spending each night carefully dressing her wounds.
Eventually, in March 2019 a biopsy revealed she had osteomyelitis, a dangerous bone infection that can be fatal. In October that year, Brittany decided to have a vet amputate both of Dixie’s back legs in a bid to save her life – which was the “most terrifying but ultimately best decision” she could make.
Brittany, who lives with her partner construction worker Dennis Brown, 46, and works with autistic children, said: “I was so nervous about the surgery as we didn’t know what the outcome would be but I needed to do anything I could to make sure she was ok. It was the most terrifying but ultimately best decision I could make for her.”
Dixie has a wheelchair to help her move around, but Brittany said she loves running around on her two front legs more than anything in the world. The pooch now boasts more than 115K followers on Instagram and around 35K followers on TikTok, with some videos amassing more than 60 million views alone.
Brittany said: “I realised other people were curious about her and loved the fact she was different. To me, she’s just my dog so I was really surprised.
“When she got out of her surgery she just started walking that way. She’s got a big head that helps her balance.”
Brittany is inundated with questions each day, with the most popular being how does she pee. It led to her posting a video of Dixie happily urinating like a “splatter painting” that was seen 61 million times. “The first time I saw her pee, I was in total shock," said Brittany.
"When I first took her out for a walk without a diaper, she peed all over my feet. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I thought that was just what having a puppy is like.
“If she is not wearing a diaper it just goes everywhere like a splatter painting. I think it’s hilarious.”
Brittany said she feels inspired each day because of Dixie’s infectious positivity, despite all that she has faced in her life so far. “She loves treats and going on walks, and playing and jumping, just like any dog. She cheers me up every single day and makes me feel like I can do anything," she said.
You can follow Dixie on Instagram at @pups_on_wheels and TikTok at @pups_on_wheels0
