Partially Paralyzed "Puppy" Reunited With Owner

MIAMI (CBS4) - When an unidentified man went to Miami-Dade Animal Services and dropped off a lost seven-year old schnauzer they realized very quickly that someone loves and cares for the dog.

The staff nicknamed him Huggies and had a special affection for the paraplegic pup that uses a makeshift wheelchair to get around.

After media outlets put the special dog's picture on TV looking for his owners, Mireya Fernandez's granddaughter, who was watching in Cuba, called her right away. She then spoke to her sister who was supposed to be dog sitting.

Fernandez said her sister told her in that moment that the dog was lost.

Fernandez said the dog, named "Puppy," has never gone missing before. Shelter managers said he got away in Miami Beach and was found in Northwest Miami-Dade.

"There are holes in the fence and he must've squirmed out of the fence. He had never been there, he's never lived there," explained Luis Salgado with Animal Services.

Fernandez was elated to be reunited with her pup. Puppy jumped up and down and barked incessantly when he saw Fernandez.

Fernandez has had Puppy since he was an actual puppy - and three years ago his hind legs were paralyzed.

"He developed some kind of hernia. They operated and it left him paralyzed in the rear legs," said Salgado.

"He is the king in our family. He's very intelligent, very loved," Fernandez said.

She refused to have him euthanized once he was paralyzed. Instead, she bought the little cart for him to move around and buys him diapers every month.

And now Puppy who can still wag his tail as fast as ever is happily back home.

Animal Services implanted Puppy with a microchip to make sure if he ever gets away again, he can be identified quickly.