‘Our lives revolve around the dogs’
Portage couple come to the rescue three times for disabled K-9s
Bob and Mary Hileman say they would have never expected their life to turn out the way it has.
The couple have been married for 30 years and spent the first two-thirds of that time enjoying the freedom that comes with no children and a passion for bowling that took them around the state and country for amateur tournaments.
“We have always been very active and involved through
bowling since we were kids,” Mary said. Bob has worked as the house mechanic at Stardust Bowl in Merrillville for more
than three decades.
Then came Harry, a sassy 10-month-old Shih Tzu rescue that wormed his way into their lives. At first Harry’s presence did not change much for Bob and Mary. The tiny dog would sometimes travel with them or stay at one of his “grandparents’” homes when they went away.
The growing family was happy.
The Hilemans, of Portage, said they knew Harry had come from a bad situation and suffered some form of abuse. When “Handsome Harry” arrived, the 10-month-old dog had worms and wouldn’t eat or drink out of a bowl, only taking water from inside the bathtub where he would climb. He also ran, sat and walked a little funny.
They had him examined repeatedly to see if anything
could be done about his wiggle. One day while out in the yard, a neighbor’s larger dogs got loose and attacked the small pup, weakening his spine. They could notice a physical change in his movements and routine.
One day, Harry at - tempted to jump on the couple’s bed, fell back and landed square in a sitting position. Harry was taken to the emergency veterinarian clinic in Westville, and then ultimately onto the Purdue Veterinary Center in Lafayette where he had surgery on his spine. The vets there said he had about a 65% chance at a full recovery. Recalling the story with Harry in his arms brings out the emotion in Bob.
“He did not regain use of his legs,” Mary said.
Dealing with Harry’s disability was an adjustment. The couple had to learn how to care for their newly paralyzed pup.
Harry, who sports a mohawk-style groom with a green hue, learned to navigate his surroundings and even was fitted with a set of his own wheels. He has a Pack and Play playpen that lets the couple bring him along to many places.
“That Pack and Play went with us everywhere,” Bob said.
Ten years later the happy pup, now 13, waggles with excitement at guests and scoots around the couple’s home with a zeal that belies his physical challenge. Harry does not appear impeded by his immobile lower half.
About three years ago, the family’s life was about to change again.
Bob said the couple never expected to have a dog, then to have a dog with special needs. They certainly did not expect to be contacted three years ago by Rescue Tails Animal Welfare, the rescue that brought them
Harry, to come and see another dog.
George was yet another Shih Tzu who found himself in harm’s way. The pup was found surviving on the streets of Chicago, angry and hurt. George, too, was paralyzed. The family’s veterinarian said it was likely
George was kicked.
George has his own personality and his own hairstyle. The Shih Tzu sports a braided goatee.
The two pups suffer from two different types of paralysis, one affecting the nerves, the other the spine. Their needs are similar and the love the family showers on both dogs identical. So is the sacrifice. The couple no longer travels to bowl. Tournaments are a thing of the past. Bob and Mary don’t mind. The couple happily settled into their new groove. Then, about a year ago, the phone range again.
Rescue Tails had another paralyzed Shih Tzu in need of the right home. The couple was certain they did not want another dog. After the met Charlie, they took him home.
It took a long time for them to gain Charlie’s trust. He remains leery of strangers and will snap if he feels threatened. Bob and Mary have been working on his behavior. Bob can pick Charlie up now and hold him, snuggling face to face. Bob said if he tried that a year ago when the pup first moved in, he would have lost an ear.
As with their other two pups, the couple have provided George with all the medical attention he needed including a neuro-chiropractor who sees him twice a month. Slowly, but definitively, George has regained the use of his hind legs.
The only of the three dogs fully mobile, George, who sports the canine version of a flat top, runs around the house and plays with his brothers, who scoot around with him. The family goes for walks together and trips to the local Pet Supplies Plus, where vthey say Harry is the store’s unofficial mascot.
The sacrifices they have made, they say, are worth it. The couple say they can’t imagine their life any other way.
“Our lives revolve around the dogs. Sometimes we can’t go places so be it, we wouldn’t have it any other way,” Mary said. “They taught us so much about acceptance and adapting. Sometimes we say who rescued who.”