Gracie the puppy didn't get such a great start in life. Due to a birth defect, she was born without two front legs and she was found abandoned and covered in maggots. But when a kind stranger brought her to Mostly Mutts, a no-kill animal shelter in Georgia, her luck started to change.

Gracie was quickly adopted by the shelter director and joined a brood of disabled animals, including a brother who is paralyzed and a sister who has no legs. While she was able to get around rather well by hopping on her back legs, it was uncomfortable for her and she was quickly worn out.

"I think her nubs get sore," Gracie's mother, Tammy Turley, told The Dodo . "I didn't want her to have some kind of lung or heart issues later on by bouncing around."

Since Gracie was a puppy, it wasn't economical for her family to buy her a wheelchair since she was still growing, so Turley asked the shelter's trainer if her son could possibly make one for her out of Legos. Without any instructions, 12-year-old Dylan (pictured below) got to work making Gracie a functioning wheelchair.

"He put a lot of thought into it and made it so that we velcro-ed her in," Turley said.

She said the dog was confused at first, but once she got the hang of it she was off and running. The new set of wheels definitely gave Gracie more pep in her step and earned her the new title, "Amazing Gracie." As Gracie grew, Dylan added more LEGOs to the chair so that it was always at the correct height.

Turley says she doesn't want people to feel bad for Gracie, and that she's just like any other dog.

"I just want people to realize that special needs animals need a chance to have a loving home also." - Tammy Turley

Now that Gracie is full-grown at one year old, she has an official rehabilitative wheelchair with an aluminum frame and fully adjustable harness. We're sure she'll never forget her best friend Dylan, who gave her the chance to run as a puppy.

If you're interested in adding a furry friend to your family, you can reach out to your local animal rescue league for more information . You can also search via the Shelter Pet Project for available rescue animals near you.

(Source: images & video Amazinggracie.ga Facebook )