LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) – Kewpie the opossum is officially on the move and all thanks to a new set of wheels.
In Wilderness Trail Wildlife Center in Laurel County, his carer Tonya Poindexter watches Kewpie move across the floor in his custom wheel. The scene was completely different from last fall when Kewpie stopped using his hind legs.
“He couldn’t walk anymore and he was dragging himself on his front legs,” she told LEX 18.
Kewpie was born with a genetic defect, similar to dwarfism. He also suffered from scoliosis, arthritis, and by the time he was less than two years old, he was already considered old for an Osin. But Poindexter has been dedicated to giving him the best life possible since she saved him in Lexington.
So when an animal advocacy company calls Walkin ‘Pets she decided to collaborate with the New Hampshire-based organization.
“They contacted me and said, ‘Hey, we want to help you with Kewpie,’ she said. “They’ve never fixed a wheelchair for a car before, and I said it’s okay.”
A few weeks later, a custom shopping cart appeared, sized to Kewpie’s specific measurements. The opossum is still getting used to being in his special wheelchair, but so far his carers are proud of his progress, including volunteer Karen Smith.
“They love to move around,” she said. “They don’t sit still for long. They have to go. And it brings him so much more, to where he can go. ”
At one point, Walkin’ Pets also equipped one of Poindexter’s rescue deer with a wheelchair, a fawn named Clarice.
Now that Kewpie has joined the club, she’s excited to know where he’s going next.
“It took a lot of time to do what I could with him, but I mean, I love him and he loves me back,” she said.
Poindexter started her wildlife organization in 2016. Her first animal was the skunk Pepe. After Pepe was killed, Poindexter said she dedicated her life to taking care of animals.
For more information about the Wilderness Trail Wildlife Center, including how to donate to the rehabilitation of animals like Kewpie, click here. this.
