“Special pets deserve love, care and a home”

On February 13, in the Moscow loft “No Problems”, charming with the support of the pet-friendly community “SharPei Online” celebrated his third birthday! Iveta, the owner of Stepashka, shared with us her impressions of the party, talked about her pet and special dogs in general. Rather, read our kind interview!

• Iveta, once again, Happy Birthday to your pet! Tell me how was the party? What did you and your family like and remember the most?

– The party went great. A lot of Stepashka’s friends gathered. We did not expect that our dog is loved so much: there were a huge number of gifts, warm wishes, smiles at the holiday. And most importantly, we were able to collect help for the “” team: food, diapers, toys, medicines. It is very important to help those who are in trouble.

• Stepashka is an unusual pet, can you tell us a little about him? How did Stepashka get into your loving family?

– The breeders brought Stepashka for euthanasia, as he was born with a serious violation of intrauterine development. The baby was taken by Elizaveta, the curator of the PoodleHelp poodle help team, and placed in a rehabilitation center, where they tried to put him on all fours. I accidentally saw a story about a tiny refuse-bearing poodle, I decided to participate in the fate of the baby: I brought diapers and food.

Once I was asked to take Stepashka for grooming and, probably, it was then that we really became friends. I told my husband, Kostya, about Stepashka, and he offered to take him to our house for a while. Styopa immediately became a member of our family. After a couple of days together, neither I nor Kostya could imagine how we would give Stepashka to someone.

• Please tell us about the PoodleHelp organization. How did she get there, what is she doing now?

– “” has existed for more than 8 years. During this time, the guys managed to help a huge number of poodles and close mestizos. I am also actively involved in the life of the team “”. She helps Yorkshire Terriers in trouble.

Thanks to Stepashka, I found two invaluable friends: Anastasia (curator of the yorkhelp team) and Elizaveta, who saved Stepasha. Now together we rescue dogs in trouble. Last year alone, we found a home for 176 poodles and yorkies. The teams exist on donations: we put up posts asking for help in examination and treatment, keep a financial report, post checks. We are as honest and transparent as possible. We are always happy to accept helpers into our ranks: sometimes you need help to take the dog to the clinic, take it for overexposure, come and take professional photos for a post about finding a home. Any help is appreciated. 

• At Stepashka’s birthday, we remember the presentation of the Stepmobile. Let’s tell our readers about it?

“Stepmobile” is a stroller for special animals, completely designed and created by Konstantin, the owner of Stepashka. The technology is patented. “Stepmobile” is approved by one of the best surgeons in Moscow – Chadin A.V. Strollers are comfortable, practical, safe. 

The peculiarity of the “Stepmobile” is a new look at the problem of fixation, mobility of the animal and the convenience of handling the stroller for the owners. When we first had the question of choosing a means of transportation for Styopa, we noticed that there are many options: American, Chinese, light, heavy, plastic and metal strollers. But they were all created according to the same principle, which our dog did not really like. 

At first, the idea came to improve the existing model, but we did not get positive results in terms of mobility and mobility. Then we came to the conclusion that strollers of this type, in principle, do not suit us. Of course, they are good for those who have problems starting from the chest and above and there is no way to use the muscles of the body. But for everyone else, there must be something fundamentally different.

For about a year, Kostya and his colleagues developed the design. We have accumulated a whole bag of marriage, because. attention was paid to every millimeter. Lightening the weight of the entire structure was also an important goal: for the smallest stroller, it is only about 300 g. We designed shock-absorbing wheels so that you can not be afraid of shaking the spine and internal organs on impassable roads and on small obstacles. All to ensure that special dogs feel as comfortable and confident as possible next to their fellows!

We have already made about 10 Stepmobiles and so far the flight is normal. They even sent one to America.

• Great project! Is the Stepmobile suitable for all dogs with mobility difficulties?

– Our main goal is the comfort of the dog. Do not overestimate the capabilities of the pet. Sometimes we still recommend purchasing a trolley for a special dog and do not try to put it in the Stepmobile. With idle muscles of the body, this will not give results. “Stepmobile” for us is not earnings. What matters to us is not the number of those who have purchased a stroller, but those for whom it fits and makes life easier.

• What would you like to say to owners whose pets have become disabled, or to people who are just thinking about adopting a special pet in the family?

– If a dog was born special or became disabled for some reason, this does not mean at all that it ceases to be a dog. Special pets also deserve love, care and a home. That’s absolutely right!

If a person is faced with the problem of refusal of the hind legs of his pet (or any other unsolvable problem), you need to adapt to the needs of the animal, change your schedule a little, change the care of the pet. It may be intimidating at first, but it’s all real and actually not difficult at all.

If a person is thinking about giving a house to a special dog, that’s great!

There are a large number of pet blogs on Instagram run by owners. You can always write to us and ask a question about the care, treatment, nutrition of such a pet. We have already formed a kind of community where we exchange useful contacts: where to sew panties for a dog, taking into account the peculiarities, which doctor to contact, who has what kind of diapers. 

The world of owners of special dogs is gradually expanding. Only with the help of Stepashka we managed to find a home for 8 special ponytails, and we are friends with all of them. I hope the number will only grow every year.

• Is there a large community for such owners where they can share content experiences and support each other?

– We mainly maintain pages on Instagram: , , , . We don’t have a separate community yet. Still, special dogs have nuances: someone goes to the toilet on his own, someone needs help. Some people eat natural food, while others only eat medicated food. Some do not have sensation in their hind legs, and some have even fully learned to walk, but do not control the toilet. No two stories are the same, everyone has their own experience and needs. But the idea of ​​creating a community is just great! We’ll think about it.

• Thank you very much for sharing moments from the life of Stepashka. Looking at him, I want to believe that disabled dogs can live a full life and be truly happy! 

– Special pets deserve to be home and happy. I am very pleased that sometimes people with disabilities write to us and express gratitude for the motivation and desire to move on, no matter what. Looking into the happy eyes of a dog that is unlucky enough to walk on all fours, but lucky enough to meet its human, we believe in goodness!