Man does the sweetest thing for his special needs dog
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00:00 (helmet creaking)
00:01 His skull never fully formed.
00:03 I made him the helmet to protect his head
00:05 from head injuries.
00:06 Good boy.
00:08 I'm Blake, and this is Mr. Muggles' story for GeoBeats.
00:11 Mr. Muggles was born with hydrocephalus
00:13 due to the spinal fluid causing brain pressure.
00:17 I believe the breeder gave up Mr. Muggles
00:20 due to hydrocephalus, where then road dogs stepped in.
00:23 One of the volunteers had been feeding him by two
00:26 when they first got him and nurtured him to good health
00:29 before his foster mom, Bella, took care of him.
00:33 Can you now sit?
00:34 (gentle music)
00:35 Oh gosh.
00:36 Oh, I'm sorry.
00:38 I contacted road dogs, flew down.
00:41 Hydro dogs can't fly because of the pressure on their brains
00:44 so drove 17 hours back from LA to Seattle
00:48 with Mr. Muggles in the passenger seat
00:50 and loved every minute of it.
00:51 (gentle music)
00:57 Hydrocephalus conditions can vary greatly between dogs.
01:01 What a guy.
01:01 (dog growling)
01:03 Good boy.
01:04 Developmentally, he's a bit of a simple guy.
01:07 Loves to do certain things
01:08 and sometimes doesn't love to do other things.
01:11 A lot of dogs have a very short lifespan,
01:14 but my last dog had a pretty severe case.
01:16 He did live a great life for six years.
01:19 Mr. Muggles is kind and is cuddly, loves to be on your lap,
01:23 is a very happy dog most of the time.
01:25 Overall, he's a good man.
01:26 He has two holes on the top of his head.
01:28 I decided to make him his own helmet.
01:30 Most of the helmets that are available for dogs
01:33 don't usually have padding,
01:34 which I felt like was the most important thing.
01:37 I have a background in the automotive space.
01:39 I took a pattern of his head.
01:40 I created a stencil in order to create a padding
01:44 and I was able to hand lay carbon fiber
01:46 and make him the helmet that you see today
01:49 with the padding that he wears
01:52 if he's not in my lap or free roaming.
01:54 This helmet is just a prototype.
01:56 I do plan on making a better version
01:58 and the hope would be that he would continue to wear it
02:01 because his open fontanelles on his head
02:03 won't ever completely close
02:05 and so he does have a risk for the rest of his life.
02:09 I've gotta kind of always be like a helicopter dad,
02:14 if you will, but the helmet definitely gives him freedom
02:17 and me peace of mind.
02:19 He's not in any sort of pain or discomfort.
02:22 He enjoys life and I don't think he knows
02:24 he has a whole lot going on with a medical condition,
02:27 which is great.
02:28 He can make a good day even better
02:30 or he can turn a gloomy day into a joyous one
02:34 just by interacting with him and spending time with him.
02:37 It's important for me to give love and compassion
02:40 and care to special needs dogs.
02:42 They're the lovable lemons.
02:44 They're the underdogs and helping them achieve life
02:48 and prevail and be successful
02:51 in just as simple as little life tasks.
02:53 It's so worth it.
02:54 (upbeat music)
02:57 (upbeat music)
03:00 (upbeat music)
03:02 you