Retired Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy John Cox received a message from his friend on social media the first time he laid eyes on Baby.
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Baby, a disabled senior rescue dog with the Pittie Party of Central Florida in St. Cloud, gained social media attention when her specialized wheelchair was stolen off their front porch.
READ: New wheelchair on the way for disabled rescue dog after theft draws community support
Cox said he immediately reached out to the organization.
“I said ‘Let me let me take care of it,’” Cox said. “They were like, ‘You know, they’re expensive.’ I’m like, ‘This is I kind of what I do.’”
Cox is the founder of Ruck9, a non-profit based in Sarasota that raises money primarily for dogs with mobility issues in need of wheelchairs.
“I was on our SWAT team, and so the ‘ruck’ part is like the weighted vest or a rucksack,” Cox said. “And then that’s where it kind of came into the the acronym Ruck9. That’d be cool: Rescuing Uniquely Created Canines.”
Cox said he was inspired to start the organization almost six years ago when he discovered a dog named Cora Rose on social media, who lost her front legs in an accident. He said this was his first introduction to the specialized wheelchairs, or “wheelies” as he calls them.
Since beginning the organization in 2021, Cox has helped 664 animals — from dogs to goats and skunks. His mission has also stretched beyond Sarasota, helping more than 20 animals across 18 different countries.
Cox serves as the middle name between pet owners and Walkin’ Pets, a disabled pets equipment manufacturer.
“Walkin’ Pets from day one have welcomed me and taken care of me and helped me,” Cox said. “If I ever have a question, it’s a simple phone call, email, text away and they jump right on it. They’ve been just as big part of this program for me as I have.”
Cox said the wheelchairs cost anywhere from $350 to $1000 depending on the size of the animal. Baby’s chair cost roughly $800, according to the Pittie Party of Central Florida’s Facebook post.
“If [the owner is] reaching out to me at that point, they probably spend a lot of money on vets because the animal is either born that way, gets injured, gets old and loses its back end,” Cox said. “If there’s a need and an animal needs it, then I have a pot of gold that we put on events, raise money, and as long as that pot of gold is full, every penny goes right back out towards animals that need help.”
He said not only do organizations like his provide financial relief for pet owners, but makes caring for the animal easier and improves their quality of life.
“They’ve done enough,” Cox said. ”They’ve had a lot of hardships with their animals, and so I just want to give that gift of mobility."
John said despite the wheelchairs value, he doesn’t believe someone intentionally stole the item for resale purposes. He said it could’ve been a child who saw it and thought it was a shiny toy.
“In my line of work, you could never rationalize why people would do what they did,” he said. “They just did it sometimes, and you know, this one bad decision has led to such an outpouring of good and love and care and awareness.”
The Pittie Party of Central Florida told WDBO that they will be sharing updates on Baby to its social media soon as they wait for her bellyband’s delivery.
Since the theft, both organizations have received increased attention on social media. Cox said he’s gained over 1000 followers on Facebook.
“I’ve been so blessed with putting on events and having people that believe in Ruck9,” Cox said. “They’re animals animal lovers and they blessed my pot of gold”
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