Lincoln Parkes, 92, spends most of his time doing what he loves: designing canine wheelchairs. Dr. Parkes has dedicated over 60 years of his life to building specialized carts for disabled animals while working as a vet.
Parkes didn’t stop working once he retired; instead, he focused all of his attention on his longtime love. He set up a shop 2 blocks from his home and started creating wheelchairs.
It all began when Parkes came across a man whose dog had been injured by an automobile. The dog’s restored legs were no longer functioning, so Parkes created a K-9 cart for him, and the canine was given a fresh lease of life.
And that is when Parks decided to go even farther. In the early 1960s, he started a wheelchair center, where he made carts for dogs that couldn’t walk.
He started walking as a side hobby during his decades-long career as a veterinarian, but it quickly turned into a lifetime passion.
Parkes now spends most of his time building wheelchairs for pets who need them, and nothing brings him more joy than witnessing a puppy light up with joy after receiving a new wheelchair.
Parkes stated, “I prefer to provide animals with a better existence.” “When you put them in a cart when they can’t walk, it gives them motion, so they can utilize their front legs, and their energy just bursts — they’re like toddlers as soon as they take their first steps.”
“I go to bed at midnight every day.” Dr. Parkes said, “That’s the only leisure I get, but I’m having fun doing something worthwhile.”
Parkes has faced five or six major rivals over the years, and as a result, profit has dropped to a few hundred carts every year, and Parkes’ reach is no longer nationwide.
He used to be able to pay people to construct wheelchairs while he concentrated on developing new prototypes, but now he is the one putting carts together. As he puts together plastic sheets and metal tubing, it might take days to fill a single order. However, he is no longer disappointed. He’s still working on a new and improved wheelchair that he believes will do well on the market.
Since Parks founded K-9 Carts, he has been making a positive difference in the lives of disabled dogs. Parkes customizes each cart to meet the specific needs of each dog, and it’s clear that he genuinely cares about each and every one of them.
Despite the fact that he is 92 years old, he has opted to continue working and saving lives.
Parkes is a remarkable man and a true inspiration. We are genuinely impressed by his compassion and devotion, which he has demonstrated as a veterinarian and via his domestic dog wheelchairs.
