In the heart of Ho Chi Minh City’s Thu Duc district, the daily sight of Oscar Fernando Ruiz Bonilla, 44, and his Vietnamese wife, Anh Thu, strolling the streets with a dozen cats and dogs has become a familiar one. What sets this couple apart is their unwavering dedication to animals, particularly those with disabilities.
Oscar, originally from Colombia, arrived in Vietnam six years ago and started a Colombian restaurant. However, his life took a meaningful turn when he met Anh Thu in 2019. She is a veterinarian with a profound love for animals and runs Forever Wheelchair, a center dedicated to crafting wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs for animals while raising funds to rescue and care for abused, abandoned, and disabled pets.
Among the furry companions they’ve welcomed into their home is a puppy named “Ca Chim” (Bird Fish). This little one had endured the amputation of its legs and was discarded on the streets two years ago. Oscar recalls, “[Ca Chim] was thin and very aggressive. His body had a fishy smell, and so I named him Ca Chim.”
Their compassion extends to a poodle named Tina, born with diabetes and now over a year old, who is paralyzed and relies on a customized wheelchair for mobility.
The couple’s household also includes four cats, with two of them affected by polio. Their collective efforts have led to the rescue of approximately 300 cats and dogs.
Oscar explains, “For me, seeing a paralyzed pet being able to walk normally with a wheelchair is the greatest happiness. I want to adopt many dogs and cats, but my house is not large enough, and we also do not have a lot of caregivers. So, instead, I will try to find new homes for them.”
Oscar and Thu’s daily routine involves taking their beloved pets to the local public park, where each animal has its own name and unique interests.
In the early days, the couple funded the creation of wheelchairs for injured and paralyzed pets from their own pockets. However, they later sought financial support and began selling their innovative products to fellow pet lovers.
Oscar, with the help of partners, designs and assembles the wheelchairs himself. Without a formal school for training in this field, he embarked on a journey of self-education, mastering animal anatomy, assembly techniques, 3D printing technology, and more. Two years ago, as homemade wheelchairs gained popularity, he temporarily stepped away from the restaurant to dedicate his time to this mission. His creations are now exported to countries including the U.S. and Canada.
Pet owners with disabled animals only need to send a video showcasing the disability and measurements to Oscar, who then customizes a suitable wheelchair. Typically, it takes three days to a week to design and assemble one, with costs ranging from VND 2.5 million to 6 million ($109 – $261.61).
What truly sets Oscar and Thu apart is their commitment to giving back. They allocate a portion of their profits to animal rescue centers in Saigon and actively seek funding to craft nearly 15 wheelchairs each month. Their story serves as an inspiring testament to the boundless love and dedication one couple can pour into making the lives of disabled animals better, one wheelchair at a time.