Their Stories

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Every dog has a story. In “Their Stories,” we share the challenges faced by different breeds—from vision loss to joint disease—to remind us that behind every wagging tail is a life shaped by human choices, and a chance for us to do better.

Dongdong | Bichon Frise

Meet Dongdong, a five-year-old bichon frise, my best friend inside of my family. He is an enthusiastic and loving friend and is always there to cheer me up even during the saddest days. As soon as I walk in my house, I would be greeted with paws and licks! He loved being around people and of course… belly rubs! But, all of this changed when he was diagnosed with Progressive Retinal Atrophy, or PRA.

Reign | German Shepard

Meet Reign, an eight-year-old German shepherd, a former mobility dog who helped a woman walk again, a police dog who served the country, and finally an active, loving friend. Even though she was with three different families, she managed to be comfortable with her current owner. Reign was diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia, a common genetic disease in German shepherds, when she was little. In simple words, Reign has a dislocated hip she has to live with for the rest of her life. It is devastating to see a dog with long years of service to the country suffering.

Chico | Labrador Retriever

Meet Chico, a young Labrador Retriever from Iraq. Chico is a perfect model for the breed on the outside! But, on the inside, he suffers a genetic disease called centronuclear myopathy. This disease varies mostly in its severity. Fortunately, Chico has a pretty mild level of the disease. This allows him to move around with slight difficulties but nothing too serious. Chico’s main symptom is bunny hopping. Unlike other dogs who rotate four legs to walk around, Chico hops like a bunny with two legs. This occurs because of his lack of muscle mass in his back legs. Chico is such a brave fighter and it hurts to see him struggle.

Digit | Dachshund

Meet Digit, a little Dachshund that loves to run around in open fields! Digit was a small Dachshund when he was diagnosed with stage 2 Intervertebral Disc Disease, or IVDD. IVDD is basically a spinal disc disease found in Dachshunds and other dogs. IVDD causes problems in Digit’s spinal area affecting his ability to walk. While there are five different stages of IVDD, fortunately, Digit was diagnosed with a stage 2 symptom. This caused him to drag his back feet while walking around. Digit has been fighting for months in the hope of getting better. It is truly inspiring to see such a young dog fight through such a severe disease with the hope of conquering it.

Jojo | French Bulldog

Meet Jojo, a four-year-old French Bulldog from Spain! Jojo loves to run around fields and play with her friends. However, Jojo was diagnosed with a severe genetic disease called hip dysplasia in dogs. This caused Jojo’s movement to become limited. In order to get better, she underwent surgery intended to fix the positioning of the ball attached to the top of Jojo’s leg bone and somehow insert it into the socket. This would make Jojo’s movements, such as walking and running, less painful. It is super relieving to see how Jojo continues to run around grass fields after her surgery!

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Their Stories