Inventions Help Pets
lowed a stray ball into the surf. That brings us to London the kitten, who was born with a brain disorder. Parkes and his crew assembled a four-wheeled cart that was adjustable to accommodate the cat as it grew in size. Not all of Parkes’ products that help pets and their owners have wheels. In the front office of the shop, Rebecca Carson maintains an inventory of “Pooch Pants” diapers and “Catch-It-All” sacks that mount on the back of carts and do what the name implies. “It is very important to design a cart that allows the pet to urinate and defecate,” Parkes says with a slightly clinical air. One of their best sellers is the “P rote c t-A-Pet ” pouch. It i s a diaper-lined Nylon sack for dogs
Dr. Parkes adjusts a cart designed for a German shepherd. suf fer ing from a progressive or debilitating disease. “A young dog with a traumatic injury can live 11 to 14 years getting around in a cart,” Parkes says. “An older dog with a progressive disease can have two to three more good years.” H i s pat ient s h ave pr e s ente d Parkes with wide range of problems to solve, from a Chihuahua named Ruby Roo, who was born without front legs, to Stroker Ace, NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Great Dane, who needed a K-9 Cart for support after back surgery. Parkes says that one of his patients, Henry, loved to play on the beach but was suffering from a disease similar to multiple sclerosis in human beings. He designed a cart that allowed Henry to chase balls and fitted it with f lotation devices to keep him safe if he fol-
Ruby Roo was born without any front legs. 28