Daisy the Labrador retriever’s story, which the Ear first read about in The Daily News of Longview, Washington, (http://tinyurl.com/TDNdaisy), is a cautionary tale: Don’t let dogs ride in the back of your truck.

Daisy’s original owner did just that, and Daisy fell out. Then she was run over. He didn’t bring her in for treatment, and Daisy lost the use of her front legs. But wait, it gets worse. Then he couldn’t deal with Daisy’s medical issues, so he dropped her off at a vet’s office to be euthanized.

So here’s where the good news starts. The vet called Shelly Westby, co-founder of Rescued Paws of Longview (www.facebook.com/rescued.paws), who immediately agreed to be Daisy’s foster mom. Shelly figured maybe a wheelchair was the answer for Daisy, so she tried to raise the money for one (they run about $600).

When she found out about Gunnar’s Wheels in Wisconsin (http://tinyurl.com/GunnarsWheels), a foundation that provides free wheelchairs for dogs in need, she appealed to them via Facebook. Jason Parker, founder of the nonprofit, contacted Shelly quickly, and a new wheelchair arrived within a week. “He was happy to help, and I am beyond thrilled,” Shelly said.

One problem: The wheelchair arrived in what seemed like a zillion pieces. Shelly’s husband, Ted, took a crack at it, but then Shelly came up with the idea of asking a bicycle shop to assemble it. That’s when she turned to Bob’s Sporting Goods in Longview, who readily offered to help.

So, Daisy now has her new wheelchair, but it’s going to take some getting used to. “I was really hoping she would take off,” Shelly said, “but there’s a learning curve.”

But Shelly is a believer, and thinks Daisy will get the hang of it. “She’s just an amazing dog.”