The past few months have been tough for Winnie, an eight-year-old Dachshund. First, she lost the use of her hind legs and then — just 10 days later — her owner died following heart surgery.

Now, however, with the use of a special dog “wheelchair” Winnie, who makes her home in East Texas, is getting around. What’s more, her tale of canine triumph in the face of adversity won her first place in the Longview News-Journal‘s second annual online Pet Star Calendar Contest.

The newspaper reports:

Winnie rolled over the competition, receiving 300 votes more than the second-place finisher, a mini-Australian shepherd named Red.

Winnie will be featured on the calendar’s cover. Her former owner Janet Garlick, known as “Granny Jan,” would have been proud, said her granddaughter, Kathrine Linton, who now looks after Winnie.

“She would just be tickled pink right now if she knew her baby won the contest,” she said.

There’s a picture of Winnie in her wheelchair here and more info on Dachshund wheelchairs here.

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