They say you will put your pride aside for the ones you love and as most of you know, there is nothing we won’t do for our fur-babies.

Frankie had his first bout with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) a few months ago in April while his older brother, Derby, was recovering from a surgery to remove a Grade 2 softball-sized soft tissue sarcoma from his elbow. We changed EVERYTHING in our home to suit his needs. We have ramps leading to every couch, we moved our bedroom to the main floor to avoid stairs, we divided up our living rooms to keep him safe from roughhousing with his big brothers and sisters, and we kept him kenneled while we were at work. Frankie crate rested for 6 weeks, followed all of our vet’s orders, and slowly made it back to his “normal” self. We adjusted to our new living arrangements and continued treating him like glass in hopes of preventing ever watching him suffer like this again.

Late last week he started showing signs of this heartbreaking disease’s return and on Thursday night all of our worst fears came true. We opened his crate to let him go potty one last time before bed and the fear in his eyes told us something was wrong: he was paralyzed and couldn’t move his hind legs. We spent the next several days in and out of the emergency vet at Hobart Animal Clinic while contending with not only the weekend but also a federal holiday.

There WILL BE light for him at the end of this dark tunnel. We are committed to doing everything in our power to get him back on his feet and even though that isn’t guaranteed, if you’ve ever met Frankie, you know he is headstrong. He’s only 2 (almost 3) and WILL NOT let this disease define him - NEITHER WILL WE! He has the best support system around between his family and his studio families. We don’t know how to do this alone. We are asking if you could find it in your hearts to help us help Frankie get the best treatment we can find. Between Derby’s surgery to remove some of his cancer in April, Juliet’s bladder stones in January, Frankie’s first IVDD flare-up in April, and Romeo’s continued visits for extreme hip dysplasia: we are tapped. We’ve exhausted all of our financial options including care credit, savings, and credit cards but Frankie will need weekly acupuncture, laser treatments, and physical therapy not to mention a whole host of medications in hopes of walking again and even if that doesn’t happen - this is not a death sentence. He will be the most handsome diaper-wearing, wheelchair-rocking pup you’ve ever met!