Viral videos and community outreach has brought Our Forever Home for Misfit Pups national attention. The Ellsworth home takes in dogs that have been abused, inbred, injured or that face euthanization, giving them the life they deserve.

When Lary Schuette brings the dogs to the park, an event or even the ski slope, people cannot help but smile, seeing dogs with wheelchairs, dogs walking on two legs and dogs that have been through all sorts of pain run around and have a good time like any other dog would. One of their dogs acts as a service dog, helping to pull or assist another dog when needed.

“Our kids all grew up and we were empty nesters, so we took in a dog that was special needs that couldn’t find a home,” Schuette said. “My Sue had gone through some hip replacement surgeries and stuff, so that dog [Tia-Marie] actually inspired her and helped us.”

The dog went to work with Lary and Sue at the rail yard in St. Paul every day, leaving a permanent imprint on their hearts. At a community event with handicapped people meeting dogs, Schuette noticed the dogs with wheelchairs seemed to serve as inspiration for everyone.

There is no shortage of work that goes into the dogs, with frequent vet trips, surgeries and expressing the dogs three times a day all in the routine. Schuette compared taking care of the dogs as having a baby in diapers for their entire lives. While a lot of work goes into it, every second has been worth it.

“There’s no days off,” Schuette said. “We don’t take vacations. If we do, they all go in the van with us, and I rent the hotel room and I’ve had up to seven dogs in a hotel room.”

They do foster care for rescued dogs from across the country. Schuette’s goal is to educate people. He helps set up wheelchairs for animals when people need the help, including a goat at Aspyn Acres in Waconia most recently.

“My mom had a sanctuary growing up,” Schuette said. “So I have that in me.”

People have fallen in love with the dogs, as Our Forever Home for Misfit Pups has over 70,000 followers on TikTok. They have been on TV, in the newspaper and even featured by People on social media.

“When I get out in the community with people,” Schuette said. “A lot of people say they call it happy tears, inspiration for others. They inspire me. They make me not lazy.”

One of the dogs was taken in from a drug house. Schuette said it was a miracle the dog survived after being exposed to multiple dangerous drugs but is now as happy as all the others.

“You need to focus on physical and mental therapy,” Schuette said. “Our mission is to educate people about quality of life… Dogs pay it forward in love.”

Schuette said the dogs enjoy going to nursing homes and roaming the halls, which he viewed as a win-win as the dogs get social interaction and the people get smiles on their faces. They recently paid a visit to Elsie’s Barnyard for an event, where the kids thoroughly enjoyed meeting the dogs.

“[Elsie’s Barnyard] has once a month greetings. We’ll come out there, it’s all free,” Schuette said. “I don’t ask for money. It’s socialization for the dogs and they pay it back with people.”

Jordy, one of Schuette’s larger dogs, could not walk at all when she was brought to Our Forever Home. Schuette said she was given everything she needed because of her severe leg injury, eventually giving up her willpower. Since joining the home, Jordy started to be pulled around on a four-wheel chair.

“She would start getting out on the trails and moving her legs, and I’d raise it so she thought she was moving but she wasn’t strong enough, to the point where she’s strong enough and I started lowering it,” Schuette said.

Jordy now can move around on her own in a two-wheel chair, playing ball just like the other dogs. Each of the dogs gets their own unique wheelchair with different colors, lights and pinwheels.

At first, Schuette said people in the community worried he was abusing the dogs or that they were fighting them. Now that he has spent some time in Ellsworth, community members frequently visit to check out the dogs, whose favorite activity is riding on the lawnmower with Lary. They are willing to bring the dogs to any event or birthday, as they have seen how beneficial the interaction can be for both parties.

Schuette said they are not in it for the money, but if people are interested in donating, they can at www.gofundme.com/f/helping-our-forever-home-for-misfit-pups or @Lary-Schuette on Venmo.