The meanest robbery of all time has a wonderfully happy ending. Megan Caligiuri had bought an expensive, custom-made wheelchair for her beloved Schnauzer mix, Griff, because his hind legs no longer worked. Until a thief stole Griff’s dog wheelchair from his owner’s terrace. Thanks to her fellow citizens in Englewood (US state of Colorado), the owner has now “regained her faith in humanity”.
Caligiuri revealed to the local TV station “CBSNews” that she once brought Griff home from the animal shelter: “We hiked together regularly. Often up to 10 miles”. Until the now 15-year-old dog grandpa developed symptoms of paralysis in his hind legs. His owner invested her savings in a custom-made dog wheelchair that gave Griff mobility again.
Mistress Megan Caligiuri with her beloved Griff.CBSNews
“Griff could run up to 5 kilometers again and was known like a sore thumb because of his rear wheels,” says Caligiuri. Until the nasty thief struck on November 11th. Caligiuri still can’t believe it: “What kind of inhuman does something like that?” But as news of Megan and Griff’s fate spread in their neighborhood, more than 80 people offered donations for a new wheelchair.
Things got even better. Kathryn Groenewold saw the theft story on social media and contacted Caligiuri. Her company, Paw Prosper, specializes in walking aids for disabled dogs. She delivered a new dog wheelchair for Griff at cost price, which the owner was able to pay for with the donations: “I am so overwhelmed by the niceness of the people around me. And Griff is happy about life again and runs around the neighborhood like a boy.” ■
Just like the title of this article states, Megan Caligiuri and her beloved Schnauzer mix, Griff, have experienced a wonderfully happy ending after going through a really mean incident. Their story has captured the hearts of many people in their community and even beyond. We had the opportunity to sit down with Megan and Kathryn Groenewold, the CEO of Paw Prosper, to discuss this remarkable story. Here is the interview:
Megan: Hi! Thank you so much for having me here. It’s been quite an experience, to say the least.
Kathryn: Of course! I’m happy to be here. How are you and Griff doing?
Thematic section: The robbery of Griff’s dog wheelchair and its impact on Megan and Griff’s lives.
Interviewer: Can you tell us about the day you discovered that Griff’s wheelchair was stolen? How did you feel, and how did it affect your daily routine?
Megan: Yes, of course! We were so shocked when we found out that Griff’s wheelchair was missing. We had left it on our terrace, just like any other day, and when I went to put him in it in the morning, it was gone. It was heartbreaking because we had invested a lot in that wheelchair. It was custom-made for Griff, and he relied on it to move around. I couldn’t believe that someone would do something like that.
Kathryn: Megan, I can’t even begin to imagine how you must have felt. Can you tell us a little more about how the dog wheelchair changed Griff’s life before it was stolen?
Megan: Sure! Griff was getting older and developing symptoms of paralysis in his hind legs. He couldn’t walk anymore, and we thought we might have to put him down. But when we got the custom-made wheelchair, it gave him a new lease on life. He could run up to 5 kilometers again and was known in the neighborhood because of his unique rear wheels. It was like having a new dog. The wheelchair gave us both hope and allowed us to continue hiking together, which we loved to do.
Thematic section
