Paralyzed Dog With Wheelchair Zoomies Melts Hearts: 'She Is on Fire'

A video of a paralyzed dog furiously running free with the help of her wheelchair has gone viral on TikTok.

The clip was posted on August 9 by TikTok account @pumpkinandfriends2 and has received almost 1 million views at the time of writing.

The footage shows Pumpkin, a partially paralyzed dog, zooming across a pavement at a park, with her hind legs supported by a wheelchair. A caption shared with the post reads: "Unedited, uncut.... no music. Just Pumpkin enjoying her wheels."

Paralysis in dogs often occurs because "communications between the spinal cord and the brain have been disrupted," explains a July 2009 article by PetMD.

Some dog breeds are more prone to paralysis than others, including ones that are low to the ground and have long backs, such as dachshunds and basset hounds.

Others may be genetically predisposed to a condition known as degenerative myelopathy (DM). This disease attacks the nerves in the spines of older dogs (ones that are over 7 years old). "This is a slow-acting, progressive disorder that eventually leads to paralysis of the hind legs," the PetMD article explains.

Breeds affected by DM include Welsh corgis, boxers, German shepherds, Chesapeake Bay retrievers and Irish setters.

Can all dogs run as fast as Pumpkin in the latest viral video?

"All dogs run very similarly, no matter if they weigh two or eighty kilograms," said a 2011 study by researchers from Germany's Jena University.

The study added: "Therefore it is not thigh and upper arm and lower leg and forearm that are correlated but the shoulder blade and the thigh, the upper arm and lower leg and forearm and middle foot.

"The centre of rotation of the front legs is the shoulder blade which is only connected to the skeleton through the musculature. The actual shoulder joint stays nearly immobile in the dogs' process of movement," the study said.

Several TikTok users were delighted by the dog's enthusiastic running in the latest viral clip.

User annasnewchapter wrote: "Obviously, she clearly has no setback or disability. She is on fire."

Andrea.cfitness posted: "Zoomies!! You can tell how free she feels."

Sydney Lim commented: "That is so cute! She is as free as the wind!"

Miranda Miller798 wrote: "off roading!!! get it girl!"

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.