Smart 5th Grader Builds Wheelchair For His Teacher’s Disabled Dog

Special needs dogs already have it pretty ‘ruff.’
Thankfully we have little earth angels like Emmett Rychner to lend a helping hand.

When he saw that his 5th-grade teacher’s dog was having some problems getting around, he decided to build the pup a wheelchair.

Now that he’s expanded his friendship to include snuggly animals, everyone is falling in love with him all over again!
And it’s all because of what he did for a sweet doggy named Leonard, which happens to be the teacher’s pet.

Emmett’s fifth-grade teacher, Dana Holden, frequently showed the students photos of her dog.
Dana told 11 Alive, “When I would project it for the class, they just thought he was extremely amusing.

Emmett could tell there was more to this dog’s story than just the charming scooching.

It turns out the 9-year-old Dachshund has a tumor pushing on his spine, so his back legs just don’t work anymore.

Emmett knew there had to be a better way for the dog to get around, so it made it his mission to help Leonard move around more easily.

When all these great ideas started popping into his head, it set the “wheels” in motion for his next big project.

The creative inventor, who is only 11 years old, has previously created coolers for lunchtime and water fountains for pets.
He was therefore well suited to create a special wheelchair for the teacher’s adorable dog.

Dana was actually impressed with Emmett’s ability to follow through on his goal of making a wheelchair for her dog.

“I think he has just an empathy, and whether that’s from Elring, or just who he is, he’s got that in him already.”

That level of dedication and persistence is not something she often sees in her fifth graders.

He’s definitely one inspirational young man!

“He was just the sweetest dog ever and I thought I’ve got to do something to help him,” Emmett says.

To learn more about Emmett and Leonard’s tale, see the video below.