Copper may look “scary” to some, but according to his owner Jennifer Jayne, he has a heart of gold.
The 4-year-old Doberman first proved this in 2016 when he alerted Jayne to the fact that her son Connor was suffering from nocturnal seizures.
“One night Copper began barking at the door and I assumed the dog needed to go out, instead the dog ran to Connor’s room and I was actually able to see my son having seizure activity, I would have never known,” she told ABC 8.
At the time, Connor was seeing several specialists in an attempt to uncover the cause of his fatigue, aches, night terrors, headaches, incontinence, and uncontrolled behavior. Eventually he was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, ADHD, and chronic headache disorder, in addition to the nocturnal seizures.
While Connor still deals with severe anxiety as a result of ongoing bullying, he now has a very special ally to help him cope. Copper has become the 10-year-old’s registered service and emotional support dog. Whenever he senses the boy’s anxiety rising, he presses his body against him like a weighted blanket.
Sadly, Copper recently began struggling to walk. Veterinarians believe it could be Wobbler Syndrome, a disease quite common in Dobermans. It causes compression of the cervical spine, leading to neck pain, neurological symptoms and a characteristic “wobbly” gait.
“When we found out how much the surgical consult and the MRI and surgery was going to cost we realized we just didn’t have that money,” Jayne said.
Determined to help his best pal get well, Connor suggested a yard sale in which he sold his own toys. Jayne also took to the internet to share Copper’s story. On a GoFundMe page created on his behalf, she wrote:
“I’m a single mom working hard to take care of my children and Copper is my best peace of mind for my son. I hate asking for help but my son needs the dog more than I need my pride. If you can see fit to donate anything it will all be greatly appreciated and go towards the cost of his treatment and MRI. Anything above and beyond what we need will be donated to another organization to help another animal in need.”
As it turns out, “above and beyond” was an excellent choice of words. In less than two weeks, donors contributed $16,500 – blowing the family’s $2,800 goal out of the water!
Copper is currently undergoing four weeks of laser therapy sessions to help with his pain and mobility. If this is not enough to get him back on his paws, additional treatments – and likely surgery – will be considered.
Thanks to the kindness of strangers, money will no longer be an obstacle for Connor and his beloved service dog. Jayne expressed her gratitude on Copper’s crowdfunding page:
“Your donations have helped make this therapy possible! It is very expensive and without your generosity we would not have the options we do so we thank you, so very much.”
You can follow Copper’s story and medical progress on his Facebook page, Copper’s Road to Recovery.
H/T to ABC8
Featured Image via Facebook/Copper’s Road to Recovery
