Meet Sidekick! 22 pounds and 5 years old, he first came through a local shelter way back in 2022. At the time he was just a normal happy Pug who was adopted and went off to start his life. But four years later he found himself back at that exact same shelter except this time, he was a completely different dog.
He was having a very hard time keeping his balance. His back legs stood unusually wide apart, his steps were exaggerated and unsteady, and every now and then he'd lose his footing and take a tumble. Even eating could be tricky because he gets little tremors when he's trying to reach his food.
The shelter was concerned and overwhelmed by his condition, so we brought him into Pug Nation and started looking for answers. Sidekick eventually had an MRI, and unfortunately, it gave us one. His cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for coordination and balance, has undergone degeneration. His condition is called cerebellar abiotrophy, a progressive disease that causes the cerebellum to gradually deteriorate. There isn't a treatment that can reverse it, and eventually his condition will progress.
We can't tell you is exactly when, Sidekick could have a limited amount of time. But he could have years. We simply don't know what his timeline will look like. What we do know is what Sidekick is doing with the time he has right now. He's living. And he's really, really good at it.
Sidekick is curious about everything. He loves attention and absolutely melts when someone gives him affection. He's a cuddler. He's a sweetheart. He's mellow, gentle, and genuinely happy to be around people. And despite the fact that his body doesn't always cooperate with him, Sidekick doesn't seem particularly interested in letting that stop him from enjoying himself!
He gets along wonderfully with other dogs and has been great with everyone he's met. He isn't looking for a complicated life. He wants someone nearby, a comfortable place to rest, some affection, and the chance to be included. Sidekick is a special-needs dog, and his future home will need to understand that his condition is progressive. He needs a patient person who won't mind helping him navigate his environment and who can give him the supervision and care he'll need as things change. Ideally, his person won't be gone for long hours and will either have experience with special-needs dogs or be willing to learn.
Because of his prognosis, Sidekick is available either as a long-term foster or through a hospice adoption. We know the word "hospice" can sound heavy. But just look at Sidekick! Right now, he's not thinking about the future. He's thinking about who's going to pet him. He's thinking about what that noise was. He's thinking about whether someone has snacks. He's thinking about what he can investigate next! He's just a happy little dog who wants to be loved.
And if his time is shorter than we'd like, then we'd like every single day of it to be full of soft beds, warm laps, gentle hands, good food, and someone telling him what a good boy he is. We'd really like the rest of his story to be about being loved. If you think you could be that person for him, please inquire today!
HUBBLE
Pug
🇺🇸
Gardena, California
male, small, adult
Pug
Gardena, California
