Long Beach\u2019s little icon<\/h5>\n
The most famous of these animals in Long Beach and likely anywhere was Wheely Willy<\/a>, who had been found abandoned with his vocal cords deliberately sliced and injuries that left his hind legs paralyzed. He was about 3 years old. Humane educator Deborah Turner discovered him at her vet and fell in love. She fixed Willy up with a K9 Cart<\/a>, a special wheelchair for dogs, and he became mobile and an inspiration to schoolchildren, humans with disabilities, people in retirement homes and a lot of the rest of us. He lived to the estimated but impressive age of 20. A ceremony was held in his honor at Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS)<\/a>, which was covered by the media and attended by friends and fans, including Mayor Bob Foster and his wife, Nancy.<\/p>\n Turner said that she\u2019s still overcome by the memories of and admiration for both her and Willy that people share. However, the few haters and folks who didn\u2019t get it or were plain nasty were like the spring in the featherbed that pokes you in the ribs. (OK, featherbeds don\u2019t have springs, but you get the point. Har de har.) She recalled comments that people made about putting Willy out of the misery that he patently didn\u2019t have to her, which was distressing. I read a couple of really vile, cruelty-inspired comments posted on a video of Willy, and I can\u2019t bring myself to repeat them here.<\/p>\n \u201cSome people believed that Eden should have been euthanized at the shelter, as they felt she was suffering,\u201d said Jaden Louie, a rescuer with The Little Lion Foundation<\/a>. Louie said that her \u201csoft spot\u201d for rescuing cats like Eden is likely related to her being a special-needs person herself.<\/p>\n \u201cI was diagnosed with a rare connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome at 19, resulting in horrible musculoskeletal pain and tissue so poor that my joints can pop right out of their sockets,\u201d she said. \u201cI understand how it feels to be seen as a financial burden, or too much work.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Eden and her sister Olivia were diagnosed with twisted leg syndrome, a birth defect that carries deformed legs and contracted tendons, typically caused by poor positioning of the fetus and crowding in the uterus.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen caught while very young and their limbs are still soft and malleable, twisted legs can sometimes be corrected,\u201d Louie said. \u201cHowever, Eden and Olivia were past the point of correction; their bones had already hardened.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Wheely-Willy-our-WALK-mascot-and-mother-Deborah-Turner-970x728.jpg\")
The guarding of Eden<\/h5>\n