An Edmonton rescue dog, left paralysed by a vicious coyote attack, now needs a new home.

Seven years ago, Artie the dog was roaming along the edge of an acreage in rural Lamont when he was brutally attacked by a pack of coyotes. After a bloody fight, two of the coyotes were dead, but Artie survived.

"Some of Artie's teeth had been found in the skulls of the coyotes, which is why he's missing a few, " said Infinite Woofs Animal Rescue Society volunteer Cynthia-Jean Smith during a Tuesday morning interview on Edmonton AM.

"He definitely showed a will to live."

The owner of the acreage took pity on the dog, and took him in. But left to recover with no medical intervention, Artie lost the use his hind legs.

In the seven years that followed, the dog instead relied on his front paws to drag himself around the acreage.

"The man had taken him in, cleaned him up and kept him fed and warm for all of these years, but had never realized he should get him properly vetted," Smith said.

"He meant well, and kept Artie safe and content, but Artie needed more than that to salvage his legs."

In a gripping story of survival, Artie's will to live gave him a second chance after an altercation with a pack of coyotes. 1:43

Artie had spent most of his life at the rural home, but when health problems forced the owner to sell the property last fall, he surrendered five of his farm dogs, including Artie, to IWARS.

At first glance, volunteers knew Artie would be a challenging rescue.

"Of all the cases we've dealt with, this is one of the most severe," said Smith, who is now fostering Artie.

Finding the right adoptive family for Artie, who lost the use of his hind legs to severe nerve damage, has been difficult. (Supplied ) "It was suggested when we brought him into our care that he might be better off if euthanized, but there was a spark in him that told us he wasn't ready to go. He's proved us right with his personality."After getting cleared by the veterinarian, the agency put out a call. Within weeks, a donated wheelchair arrived in the mail, and Artie was on the move.

"It's lucky in a way," Smith said. "Because of the nerve damage he's not in any pain."

Although he still relies on his front legs to get around the house, the new set of wheels has allowed him to keep pace with Smith's small pack of rescue dogs and to safely explore the outdoors.

Now considered a senior in dog years, Artie is ready to retire in comfort, but finding the right adoptive family has been difficult.

"It's been nearly impossible," Smith said.

"Everyone thinks he's so cute in his wheelchair, but no one is ready to adopt."

Smith says the longer Artie has to wait for his "furever home," the more attached she becomes to her tenacious new friend.

She knows when the time comes, watching Artie move on will be bittersweet.

"He's such a sweet boy," Smith said. "He's truly a gentle soul."