Seven-month-old puppy with partial mobility dies following rapid health decline

A dog who has fought for his chance to find a forever family will soon be up for adoption. CTV’s Alexandra Holyk reports.

There will be no happy ending for a puppy diagnosed with an uncurable disease.

Valor, a mini-poodle and golden retriever mix, was two months old when he was surrendered to Hobo Haven Rescue in St. Jacobs, Ont. The pup had lost mobility in his hind legs, and no one was sure what caused the condition. It was later determined that Valor had Myasthenia Gravis (MG) — an autoimmune or genetic disease that causes severe muscle weakness due to disrupted nerve-muscle communication.

“It affects the muscles primarily,” explained Chris Schaefer, founder and president of Hobo Haven Rescue, in an interview with CTV News on March 11. “So, his ability to swallow, his ability to walk like a normal dog, develop muscle strength, that type of thing.”

While there is no cure for MG, the symptoms can be managed to give dogs a chance at a long and happy life.

That was not the case for Valor.

Hobo Haven Rescue had hoped to find him a forever home soon but, instead, they shared a sad update on March 26.

“After 871 days of defying the odds, he could no longer fight the illness he arrived with,” they wrote. “Sometimes, conditions shift in the blink of an eye. That was the case for our sweet boy. As devastating as it was to accept, Valor suddenly declined, rapidly, and told us that he was ready. He was ready to rest, to be free of pain and to run without burden.”

Schaefer said Valor was surrounded by the rescue team, as well as his foster families, during his final moments.