Two years ago, Denise Stewart saw her bulldog Tyson’s life change forever.
Stewart hails from Pennfield, New Brunswick, where she works a fulltime job, while taking care of her pets. In 2020 her beloved dog, Tyson, began showing minor signs of sickness.
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"I noticed his nails would scrape across the pavement as he was walking, just once in awhile," said Stewart. Tyson’s episodes soon progressed to the point where he would routinely collapse, be unable to support his weight, and finally to the extent where he could not walk on his own.
Devastated by her dog’s lack of mobility, Stewart began searching for ways to help Tyson. Stewart took to Facebook and posted a video asking for any advice about what might be wrong with her dog. In what seemed like a last-ditch effort from Stewart, came a stranger from the United Sates who was able to identify what was going on with Tyson. The stranger said he thought it looked like Tyson had Degenerative Myelopathy, a disease that slowly deteriorates the spinal cord and results in paralysis. He went on to explain that his own dog had the same disease and died the year prior. Stewart maintained contact with the man in search of advice on how to help Tyson. The man offered to send Stewart the wheelchair his dog once needed.
Stewart was impressed by the kindness of the man and was inspired to help others the way he helped her. The wheelchair helped Tyson immensely and gave him two more years of mobility before he passed. After Tyson’s death, Stewart founded Tyson’s Wonder Wheels in his memory and started offering wheelchairs for dogs, free of charge, to other dog owners whose pets were suffering with Degenerative Myelopathy and other degenerative diseases.
The foundation offers a variety of sizes of wheelchairs, equipped to fit dogs ranging from small to extra-large. Tyson’s Wonder Wheels continue to help puppies all over the world.