Bronco tried to cross the room toward Pam Schultz, tipped over, then got up and tried again. Pam had been sinking beneath the fear of a breast cancer diagnosis. But the mixed-breed puppy’s repeated falls and his refusal to remain down interrupted her despair. “He became, I guess, my kindred spirit,” Pam said.
The bond had begun with another illness and a sudden goodbye. The Schultz family had raised Harley, a German shepherd, from the time he was 3 weeks old after fostering his mother and five littermates. Years later, following an RV vacation, the 110-pound dog developed breathing trouble in the bedroom of Pam and Jon Schultz’s son, JT.
Pam and Jon sought help from two emergency veterinarians because the first facility lacked the equipment needed to diagnose a dog of Harley’s size. They learned that cancer had spread through his body, and Harley was euthanized that night.
A couple of weeks later, Jon suggested opening their home to another animal. The family visited Long Beach Animal Care Services but did not find the right fit. Jon then applied to adopt a mixed-breed puppy from the SEACCA shelter in Downey. Cleared the next day, the family brought him home and named him Bronco after the car, not the horse.
Almost simultaneously, another found puppy was unexpectedly brought to Jon’s shop. The Schultzes named him Ranger, and the household suddenly had two young dogs. “While we knew that they would never replace Harley, we needed to love again,” Pam said.
When the puppies were about 3 months old, Bronco began moving without full control and falling repeatedly. Ranger was larger and liked rough play, leaving the family concerned that he might hurt Bronco accidentally. After Jon consulted staff at Long Beach Animal Care Services, Ranger was placed in another home so the family could concentrate on Bronco’s needs. Then Pam learned she had breast cancer.
Bronco could not accompany her through every part of treatment, but his effort at home became a steady emotional reference point. Pam said he motivated her through medical appointments, surgery, radiation and aftercare. She later said her cancer had gone into retreat, while recognizing the care of her doctors and support from her family alongside Bronco’s emotional importance.
That distinction matters. The American Cancer Society explains that pets can provide company, comfort and help with coping, but emotional support should not be confused with medical treatment or with the work of a service animal. Service animals are specially trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability; a pet offering comfort through companionship is not automatically a service animal.
People receiving cancer treatment should also tell their care team about their pets and daily care routines. The American Cancer Society recommends planning for someone else to handle feeding, cleaning, walks or veterinary needs if illness or hospitalization makes those jobs difficult.
When a dog begins stumbling
The precise diagnosis behind Bronco’s impairment has not been identified publicly, so his symptoms should not be used to diagnose another dog. Incoordination, sometimes called ataxia, can arise from problems involving the brain, spinal cord or balance system of the inner ear. Causes vary widely and can include congenital abnormalities, inflammation, infection, injury, metabolic problems and degenerative disease.
A veterinarian typically begins with a detailed history and neurological examination, according to VeterinaryPartner’s guidance on ataxia. The examination may assess posture, gait, reflexes, eye movements, pain response and awareness of limb position. Those observations help locate the problem, though they do not establish the underlying disease by themselves.
New loss of balance, repeated stumbling, head tilt, unusual eye movements, weakness, seizures or paralysis warrants prompt veterinary attention, particularly when signs appear suddenly or worsen. Treatment and outlook depend on the cause; there is no single approach appropriate for every uncoordinated dog.
At home, basic fall prevention can matter. VCA Animal Hospitals recommends making the environment safer, including preventing access to stairs. Any exercise, stretching or rehabilitation plan should be tailored with veterinary guidance rather than copied from another dog’s routine.
The Schultzes keep Bronco active while trying to protect him from injury, and they perform stretching exercises intended to work with his tendons. He goes to Jon’s workplace each day. When he comes home, he settles near Pam the dog once carried into a grieving household now staying beside the person who learned from watching him rise. Have you ever adopted a dog with a story like this? Share it in the comments.
By Jake Patterson — Freelance feature writer and former animal-shelter volunteer focused on rescue, adoption, and second-chance dog stories.
