Photo: Instagram @sonyakrayz
Old age comes to all species, doesn’t it? To help her elderly pugs climb the stairs more easily, Sonya Karimi built a wooden elevator in her home, named “Doggie-vator.”
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The occupational therapist from New Orleans, United States, had this idea after adopting Bodhi, a dog with a torn knee ligament.
The operation of the elevator is quite simple: activated by a remote control, the system lifts and lowers the dog in a wooden box, which has a door to prevent the animal from jumping during the movement. The exit is through an easily accessible ramp. With the help of her fiancé’s parents, the owner of the elderly pugs took about three months to build the “Doggie-vator.”
“At work, I saw how useful stair lifts are for people, I was surprised that there wasn’t something similar for dogs with so many pet products available today. So, I thought we could create something for our dogs,” Sonya told the British newspaper Daily Mail.
In addition to Bodhi, 10 years old, the “pet mom” also has George, 13 years old, Sam, 10 years old, and Emery, 4 years old. Although the wooden elevator was built for the elderly pugs, the youngest also enjoys the comfort of the “Doggie-vator.”
“They adapted to the elevator so quickly. I thought I would need to train them for a while, but they use it as if the elevator had been there for years! The two older ones especially. They don’t use the stairs, they sit and wait until the trip is ready for them.”