A beloved dog who struggled to walk has been fitted with a set of wheels that his owner hopes will give him a new lease of life.
AJ Kurosaki, 34, from Wallasey, has had 11-year-old Bane since he was a puppy. AJ describes Bane as his "best friend" but the pair were dealt a blow when the staffie was recently diagnosed with hip dysplasia.
The painful condition can drastically reduce a dog’s quality of life and can often cause deterioration in the joints which can be difficult for owners to watch. For Bane, while he's not yet entirely lost the ability to walk, he is wobbly, unstable and can no longer use stairs without his owner's aid.
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AJ told the ECHO : “I got Bane when he was a puppy. He’s my best friend. Quite recently, he’s started struggling with his hip and he’s been a little bit slidey on the floor. The walks we’ve been going on haven’t been quite as long because he starts to get tired and he’s dragging them at the back.”
In a bid to make Bane more comfortable and "prevent any accidents", his owner devised a plan to invest in some stabilisers that could be fitted to his back legs. While AJ said he's " not used to asking for help or handouts", he set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of Bane's new wheels.
The page has already raised hundreds of pounds and has allowed AJ to fork out for the wheels this week. He said: “I’m entirely grateful. I was actually shocked how many people donated. So many people have just been so generous.
“You put a little harness on him and then you can hook him up. It will be great because we live right next to a park. He hasn’t been able to run properly for a while so hopefully now he’ll be able to get out a lot more in there."
Although Bane won't wear his wheels all the time, AJ hopes having them on while he's out and about will "keep him from deteriorating any faster". Bane ventured out with his new equipment yesterday, and AJ said the staffie is still adjusting to life with his stabilisers.
He said: "Bane is always smiling but he hasn't decided if he likes them yet. We didn't make it to the park and he's still quite unsure about the new wheels but we'll get used to them. He'll be zooming about in no time. "
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