Skylar & His Walkin Wheels

I know I am lucky, to have the love of a dog, a dog that is always by my side, listens to me day after day, no matter what I have to say. The love in his eyes, tell me all I need to know he is happy to go for a walk, or ride in a car,
or just sit by my side, he is my friend, my dog. He loves to run, and run fast, and I have always loved to watch him run. He gets so excited to go outside, and enjoy the simple things, like the breeze on his fur, or his favorite tree, or bark at the other dogs that he can see.

Then one day, he started to limp, and how I hoped, and prayed it was something I could fix. A big German shepherd, so proud, so tough. A loving dog who never asked for much.

I knew about an awful disease, Degenerative Myelopathy, and as other causes got ruled out, that was the one that we had to think about. How can this happen, to my best friend? The one who was always there by my side? Would my heart ever mend? As his limping got worse, he could no longer run, but as always, he remained a loving one. Dogs accept what us humans cannot, they live in the day, I have to do that too, as hard as it is to say.

So what could I do, to help my boy run? To make his days, fun again? A dog wheelchair, they make such a thing? That is what I will do, get my boy, Skylar, Walkin Wheels so he can play again!! His wheels arrived on a Monday, so I showed Skylar the chair.
I put him in it, and he was just not sure. I told him he could run again, if he could learn to use his chair. He trusted me to always be there.

So now Skylar runs again, nothing holds him back. He loves his Walkin Wheels, the one thing that gave him his freedom back. He does not feel sorry for himself, he lives in the moment, so proud, so loving, so tough, and without judgment.

I know not the reason he suffers so, but I will be by his side, as he has always been by mine. We will fight this together, my dog and I. When the time comes, I will know what to do. I will find comfort that Skylar had the wonderful life that he, and all dogs deserve!! God has Blessed me with Skylar, and He loves animals too. So keep running my dog, my friend, as we know we will meet again.

Debbie L. Mann, March 2012

Learn more about Skylar's journey on his Facebook page - Degenerative Myelopathy and Skylar, My German Shepherd Dog