Kira is a 6-year-old German Shepherd mix. But Kira is no ordinary pup. She was recently surrendered to the Humane Society of Marathon County.

"Both of her back legs were paralyzed," said Lisa Leitermann, the executive director at the humane society.

Kira's injuries were caused by her previous owner who's been referred for animal mistreatment charges.

"Having a paralyzed dog in a shelter setting is not ideal," added Leitermann.

Once Kira's story was shared on the humane society's Facebook page, though, it got the attention of Melissa Maluegge.

"Right away I knew I had to help her," Maluegge said.

Melissa and her husband Shane recently lost their dog, Riley. At 10 years old, Riley started losing his ability to walk. So Melissa's mom bought him a wheelchair.

"I was able to get him walking again on his own completely and he had a few good months like that and we lost him in July," Maluegge said.

Leitermannn said the day Maluegge dropped off the wheelchair was emotional for all of them.

"Riley's memory could live on and give Kira the freedom that was selfishly taken away from her," Leitermannn said.

Kira isn't letting her situation become any sort of setback. In fact, she's getting pretty used to her new set of wheels.

"She totally gets it now," Leitermann said with a smile. "They're so resilient, and it makes it all worth it. You can see that she hasn't given up."

"Her story just tug on my heart so much," Maluegge added. "I don't know, it's like it was meant to be."

Right now, Leitermann said Kira is showing improvement in her right leg, but the humane society is looking to get a CT scan done for Kira to determine her exact injuries. Since that can cost anywhere from $1,800 to $2,200, they're asking for donations to help get that service done.

"She is very sweet," said