Now, a month on, five-month-old dog is happily bounding around again

Vets said she would likely never walk again, and suggested euthanasia

Her body was paralysed after she suffered a devastating injury while playing with another dog.

But now, Sunshine the puppy is able to walk again - thanks to her devoted breeder, who ignored vets' advice to put her down and instead gave her physical therapy sessions at her New Jersey home.

Mija Cyphert used a mixture of techniques to strengthen the dog's muscles - including hydrotherapy, an exercise ball, a harness and stretches and massages - as well as acupuncture and laser therapy.

After the five-month-old Rhodesian ridgeback started showing signs of progression, she also bought her a specially-adapted pink stroller, which allowed her to continue to build up her hind legs.

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Severely injured: Sunshine the puppy was almost completely paralysed after she suffered a devastating injury while playing with another dog. Above, she is seen cuddling a stuffed toy just days after the incident

Therapy: The five-month-old's devoted breeder Mija Cyphert ignored vets' advice to put her down and instead gave her physical therapy sessions. Above, Ms Cyphert uses food as a motivation in one of the sessions

Building up strength: The breeder used a mixture of techniques to strengthen the dog's muscles - including hydrotherapy, an exercise ball and the flexing of muscles (above) - as well as acupuncture and laser therapy

Now, only a month later, Sunshine can not only move her body, both legs and her tail - but is excitedly bounding around parks without any form of support, as recent footage of the dog shows.

Sunshine was adopted by previous owners from Ms Cyphert, 37, at the eight weeks old, but only a week later, she contracted intussusception - where empty intestine folds over cutting off blood flow.

Following an initial incorrect diagnosis of Parvo virus, the puppy had 18 inches of intestine removed during two surgeries to save her life. Thanks to a month of recuperation, she was well enough to go home, but two weeks later, she was severely wounded playing with another of the owners' dogs.

Her injuries left her almost completely paralysed.

Ms Cyphert, who took Sunshine back from her owners following the tragedy, said: 'She couldn't move or wag her tail but I saw the excitement and hope in her eyes when she saw me again.

'Seeing the puppy I did bring to this world and promised her the best possible life in such a condition broke my heart. I promised her that I would do everything to make her better.

Recovery: Ms Cyphert feeds Sunshine in a harness (left and right) during the dog's month-long recovery

Adorable: Sunshine was handed back to Ms Cyphert by her former owners after her injury. She would cry whenever the breeder left her sight, meaning she would get pushed around in a baby stroller (above)

'I believe where there's a will, there's a way. Sunshine had the will, and I had the way.'

Ms Cyphert said the dog's former owners had been told there was barely any chance of her being able to walk again and that they should put her down - but she insisted on a second opinion.

'When I heard Sunshine could be euthanised I refused to believe it - there was no way I would let her die without trying everything first,' said Ms Cyphert, who lives in Bloomsbury.

'I knew how hard she'd fought to recover from the intussusception.

'A part of me knew she would be ok, I just needed to get her to the right vet.'

As soon as she had Sunshine in her car, Ms Cyphert rang Dr Vincent Zaccheo of Warren Animal Hospital in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, who had performed the pet's intestine surgeries.

Mr Zaccheo told her his daughter, Dr Nicole Zaccheo, had experienced success with another canine car victim using acupuncture and laser therapy - so Ms Cyphert decided to try them out.

Puppy: Ms Cyphert said the dog's former owners had been told there was barely any chance of her being able to walk again. Above, Sunshine is seen at just a few months old after she contracted intussusception

Her own stroller: After the five-month-old Rhodesian ridgeback started showing signs of progression, Ms Cyphert bought her a specially-adapted pink stroller, which allowed her to continue to build up her hind legs

Stretching her muscles: : 'When I heard Sunshine could be euthanized I refused to believe it - there was no way I would let her die without trying everything first,' said Ms Cyphert, from Bloomsbury, New Jersey

The treatments began two days later.

Ms Cyphert combined them with physical therapy on the dog - who could not feed herself after her life-threatening illness - four times a day, including flexing ligaments and stimulating muscles.

'Every day we would make pounding motions on her feet - we did this to send the message to her brain that she was moving and running,' she said.

'Having lay on her side for five days she'd lost most of her muscle and was skin and bones.

'We had to hand rear her again giving her a syringe of water every 30 minutes and bathing her up to four times a day. It was intense work.'

At the time, Sunshine would cry whenever Ms Cyphert left her sight, meaning she would get pushed around in a baby stroller whenever the breeder went shopping.

After two and a half weeks later, the puppy was able to turn her neck whenever somebody walked by - and her tail was starting to wag during acupuncture.

Life-changing advice: Ms Cyphert (left, performing physical therapy on the puppy) rang Dr Vincent Zaccheo (pictured, right, with Sunshine following her recovery), who told her his daughter, also a veterinarian, had experienced success with another canine car victim using acupuncture and laser therapy treatments

Amazing: Now, only a month after her injury, Sunshine can not only move her body and feed herself - but is excitedly bounding around parks without any form of support, as recent footage of the dog (above) shows

Pals: The dog is happily chasing empty bottles around with her canine friends like nothing ever happened.

'When she started to get stronger we were motivated to push her further,' Ms Cyphert said. 'She had been using a stability ball and when she regained her neck mobility we start with water therapy.

'After two and a half weeks in her wheelchair she made her first step on her own using food as motivation.'

Now, Sunshine doesn't need a set of wheels to keep up with her friends - and is happily chasing empty bottles around like nothing ever happened.

'It was a lot of work, but it was not wasted life,' said Ms Cyphert.