As many of you know, Kato fought a progressive neurological condition called Degenerative Myelopathy. The condition has been compared to Lou Gehrig’s Disease in people. Eventually dogs become paralyzed, a lot of them will need assistance getting around to help increase their quality of life.
Kato’s Cart’s is a way to connect people with carts for DM dogs and to follow the journey of Kato’s wheels, as they bless someone else and their pet, in their fight against DM.
Here’s how Kato got his first set of wheels, and where we got the idea for Kato’s Carts!
A little over a year ago, in June 2018, I connected with a lady through social media who had a dog wheelchair made by Eddie’s Wheels, to donate to us, for Kato to use in his fight against Degenerative Myelopathy. She had gotten the cart for her boxer, Q who had DM. He had passed and they wanted to pay it forward with the cart to help another family in need.
Kato used both the donated cart and one we bought him, depending on his mood and where we were going etc.
Eddies wheels carts are not cheap, they are completely custom made and usually run over $1000-$1200 for a dog of Kato’s size. We never put a price on our boys care but to be able to be gifted this cart for the time we needed it (and use those funds for other health related things), was such a huge blessing. The measurements are very specific and to find a match in another dog is rare, so we truly felt like it was meant to be!
In July 2019, I got a message on social media from another boxer mamma who was looking for a cart for her dog. He also has Degenerative Myelopathy and he lives in Dallas, Texas. Bourbon and his mom came to visit us the weekend after we lost Loki, we talked a lot about our boys and their lives, everything we have all been through, and Bourbon got to try out the cart. We were so excited that it fit him and with a little encouragement, he was soon wheelin’ around the yard.
Bourbon is the third boxer to use this Eddie’s Wheels cart, his mamma has sent me some messages, pictures and videos and he’s getting around great. They live in a very tall apartment building so having this cart is really going to help with potty breaks, walks and so much more! We were so excited for him, even though it was bittersweet for us to pass the cart along.
Before Bourbon and his new ride left, Mike went to Petco and made some dog tags with Q and Kato’s names and dates on, those tags hang off the back of the cart and honor the journey of those who used the cart. One days there will be more dog tags to add, but for now, we’re lovin’ seeing Bourbon rolling til the wheels fall off! Follow Kato’s Carts on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katoscarts
