Bane the German Shepherd - Therapy Dog

06/05/2024

Bane has really been enjoying the weather recently! 🐶 😜 ☀️ ⚽️

05/03/2024

Happy 8th Gotcha Day to this goofy boy! 🎈 🎉

A lot of you have been asking how he is doing so, I figured give everyone an update.

I will preface by saying that Bane is very much a happy and active (for him) puppers! Don’t worry, bol is still life!

That being said, Bane’s condition has continued to deteriorate but slowly; he is still very healthy in every other way. While he still has feeling in his legs and plenty of control of his functions, he has 0% function in his back legs and has begun to experience some abdominal weakness.

So, what does that mean? It just means that we make small adjustments and accommodations and increase/improve communication for our boy to continue to keep him safe, healthy and happy! It should come as no surprise to anyone that he has become quite spoiled!

He was very happy that it was warm, sunny and dry so he could enjoy being outside this afternoon!

Thank you to everyone for thinking of and visiting with him! ♥️

26/12/2023

Merry Woofmas and happy Pawlidays!

15/12/2023

Guess who is getting wheels, y’all?! This guy right here! ♿️ 🐶

04/12/2023

Bane had an incredible therapy session today with Mr. Tim! So much so that after his laser therapy, he was actually using his back legs to walk back out to the car! So, obviously we had to stop and get a pup cup! 🍦 🐶 🦽 ♥️

01/12/2023

Hello there, Friends & Family! We wanted to share an update of our favorite fuzzy boy!

We went to see Mr. Tim at Peak Performance Canine Rehabilitation on Tuesday. Bane did SO well and he absolutely loved his PT. Poor Tim even got a snippet of Bane's sassiness during the session, too! Bane was "talking" during the entire stretch and laser therapy session!

I want to preface; there is 0% chance that Bane will recover from his DM as it is fatal. That being said, the PT was VERY optimistic that therapy will help maintain his current mobility. Because Bane only has some paralysis and he still has plenty of muscle in his legs, there is a possibility that he may regain some functionality, but he will never be 100%. As a result, we will be doing PT weekly for the next month or so with at-home PT as well.

We were also referred to Walkin' Pets who will be able to fit Bane for his wheelchair that will provide him with activity while also keeping strain off of his shoulders.

Other than his DM, Bane is perfectly healthy and happy! We are looking forward to keeping you updated on his progress!

With love and gratitude!

26/11/2023

Happy Sunday! We just got back from our annual Thanksgiving trip where Bane was able to get some much needed R & R!

We are so excited to share that because of our amazing friends and family, Bane will be starting physical therapy this week! They will also be able to connect us with one of several organizations to get him fitted for a wheelchair!

We are optimistic that, along with other preventative measures, PT will be a HUGE benefit to maintaining his current mobility and, hopefully, will help him gain some of his muscle mass back!

We will continue to keep you updated on his progress!

15/11/2023

Our adventures with Bane has brought so many people in our lives and this beautiful soul is a prime example!

6 years ago (yesterday), we sent a crazy, energetic, lanky pup to daycare for the first time. Unfortunately, one of our first hard decisions to make was pulling him from his weekly ride in the “bus” to go play with his friends with one of his favorite humans, Ms. Leah (who has since been promoted to Auntie Leah).

Tonight, Bane could not control himself when his sitter turned trainer turned friend turned pack member came to visit with her big boy!

Leah, thank you for visiting with us and for loving our boy! It means the world!

13/11/2023

For those that may not understand what DM looks like. This is a good day for Bane.

As you can see, Bane has limited movement of his legs but with the help of the Cosequin, he is able to comfortably move around the yard and den between some walking or “scooting” around without using his legs. Unfortunately, w have to carry him by his back end to the yard because if he attempts to drag himself on concrete, he will injure his legs and the tops of his feet. But, the fact that he has this amount of mobility is GOOD because that means paralysis hasn’t fully hit his legs yet.

We have been referred to Peak Performance for physical therapy. PT will help slow the progression of the disease while also helping him regain some muscle mass!

It has been a slow process but in the meantime, I intend on appreciating the days when he can stand up with relative ease, hold himself up, walk even a couple of steps with his feet under him, enjoy activities even if those activities look a little different and we can continue to provide him with lots of love!

https://gofund.me/1277ba63

13/11/2023

Getting spoiled this weekend with head scratches and naps with Dad!

13/11/2023

Update: 11/13/23

For any shepherd owners or any pet parents with an older pup or one struggling with mobility, we cannot praise these supplements enough! With your help, we are able to ensure that Bane can remain on his high dose daily regime! I swear these are magic. We have seen improvement and much more consistency in Bane’s day-to-day activities. With these supplements, Bane is able to stand with more stability, he is able to walk more without dragging his legs/feet and he has more energy and stamina which helps with his daily enrichment! We are excited at how well he is doing so far and can’t wait to share more updates with you! Again, thank you for all of the love and support you’ve shown our boy!

My name is Laura and many of our friends and family know that we have a beloved 7 YO Ge… Laura Dugan Bogart needs your support for Help Bane get some wheels!

06/11/2023

First, I want to thank everyone who has donated, called, texted, etc! My heart is overflowing with gratitude!

I am working on writing a detailed update. We are still researching and reaching out to specialists.

I did; however, want to share a ‘good news’ update!

The first photo was taken on Monday. The second one was taken only a few days later.

With your help, we have been able to continue his high dosage of daily supplements per his vets instructions. And, as you can see, it is definitely helping him with mobility, strength and stamina!

Otherwise, our boy is still happy, playful, loveable, sassy and ornery as ever!

My name is Laura and many of our friends and family know that we have a beloved 7 YO Ge… Laura Dugan Bogart needs your support for Help Bane get some wheels!

25/10/2023

Unfortunately, Bane was just diagnosed with Degenerative Myelopathy, a genetic disease affecting the spinal cord, resulting in slowly progressive hind limb weakness and paralysis that will continue to move up to his bladder and possibly his diaphragm. Unfortunately, degenerative myelopathy is a progressive, incurable disease. The typical prognosis for DM is 6-12 months.

Our goal is to provide Bane the best life possible for as long as we have left with him. We have started this Go Fund Me to assist with the costs of physical therapy and a dog wheelchair. While these things will not reverse any damage, it can help maintain his current mobility while delaying further degeneration.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Laura, Steve & Bane

My name is Laura and many of our friends and family know that we have a beloved 7 YO Ge… Laura Dugan Bogart needs your support for Help Bane get some wheels!

15/07/2023

Bane and his favorite human on his way for a sleepover! 💙

04/07/2023

Have a happy and safe fourth of July holiday!

20/06/2023

07/06/2023

Look who decided to come enjoy the cool concrete and keep me company while I work in my shop?!

29/05/2023

It’s like he had never seen a 120 lb, 4ft tall, 6 ft long pup before! 😂

22/04/2023

Thank you Nancy Bogart, Leslee Murphy Craig and Leigh Frassico Robinson for your generous gifts! ♥️

22/04/2023

Good evening! We have been trying to wait and hope that things improved, but unfortunately, the evidence seems pretty clear.

Our beloved, Bane has started to lose mobility in his back left leg, decreasing his range of motion and making it difficult to walk or stand for long periods of time. Rest assured, our boy is still as happy and as goofy as can be and does not appear to be in any real pain.

We would like to make him as comfortable as possible as we learn how to navigate his limitations while also trying to keep him in service since his loves this work so much.

Please find his Amazon wishlist attached. Any help is greatly appreciated as we continue to give our boy the happiest and most loved life he could ever have!

We will also be launching a Go Fund Me page in the near future to help with future therapy costs to help reduce and/or mitigate any further decline as much as possible.

Thank you again! We love you all!

18/03/2023

We had a great visit at the rehab today! Bane loves having the wind in his fur during the ride and, of course, the chimkin he gets after each visit!

02/03/2023

Reaching our goal of 50 new supporters and $8,000 through will enable PAWS for People to do even more in 2023! Help us make PAWS magic happen on March 2nd & 3rd – set your reminder to donate through this link:

https://www.domore24delaware.org/fundraisers/paws-for-people-do-more-24-delaware

21/01/2023

Check out Bane's Amazon Wishlist!

21/01/2023

First therapy visit of 2023! It was a chilly day at the rehab today! Thankfully, all the smiles and lovies kept us warm! And, of course, we had to stop to get a special chimken treato for the goodest of good boys!

14/01/2023

Late night T.V. and snuggle session with my boy!

21/11/2022

11/11/2022

Veterans Day holds a special place in the hearts of many.

Veterans Day is an important day set aside to honor and show appreciation for ALL who have served in the United States military—in wartime or peacetime, living, or deceased.

PAWS for People partners with Discover, New Castle, DE employees to celebrate Veterans Day and honor military veterans every day.

06/10/2022

Today, while volunteering with my Discover family while supporting my PAWS family, Bane and I were inducted into the PAWS of Fame! Bane for his 5 years of dedicated service as a therapy dog and his exceptional visits in the drug/alcohol rehab program and Destress events. And I was recognized for bringing life to the Discover and PAWS partnership and for building the framework for a now, fully supported corporate Destress program, which is being used at several large companies in the state!

So, I cried...obviously! Thank you to my PAWS family for such an amazing honor!

Love, Bane and Laura 🐾 🐶💚

Updated with proof that I cried! 😆

01/08/2022

Umm…excuse me, Sir!

16/07/2022

🐶 😴 💤 👅