Bentley is a 5 year old male dobe that was left at a Maryland shelter by his owner. Poor Bentley was so emaciated, he weighed less than 50 pounds. (This is his photo when he came to DAR&E.) Bentley came to DAR&E in January 2008. During his initial vet check our vet noticed that he seemed weak and wobbly in his back end and stood with a wide stance. We had x-rays taken of his spine and hips and ran lots of tests but there was no indication of what might be causing Bentley's weakness. We hoped once he gained weight and developed some muscle that he would be better. It was heartbreaking to hear the vet say that it was apparent that Bentley had been in an emaciated state for a prolonged period of time. So Bentley went into foster care for some much needed TLC. At first, not only was he nothing but skin and bones, he was also afraid of people and other dogs. He would lay on the floor and roll on his back whenever a person approached him and would yelp from fear if another dog came near him. Poor Bentley was truly a pitiful sight to behold. The great thing about volunteering for DAR&E is that you get to experience watching these mistreated dobes come out of their shells and see the joy on their faces when they realize that they are going to be fed regularly, given a warm bed and best of all be loved. After 3 months Bentley is such a happy boy! (This is his photo after 3 months.) He runs the fields at his foster home, he plays with the other dogs and only rolls on his back now because he wants his belly rubbed. Bentley LOVES to cuddle and will happily sit in your lap if you let him. He loves to sneak up behind his foster mom and grab her head warmer or gloves out of her hand and run gleefully around the yard shaking it and tossing it in the air. You can see he is so proud of himself! Unfortunately, it is not all roses for Bentley yet. Bentley went to the vet recently to see if his condition had improved after 3 months of TLC. Unfortunately except for becoming a bit more coordinated Bentley still has noticeable weakness in his back end. Our vet has recommended that Bentley have an MRI done to determine what is causing this weakness and what his long-term prognosis is. MRI's are very expensive but it may be Bentley's only hope for a normal life. Our goal is to raise $1500 to cover the MRI and vet costs for Bentley. Visit this page for updates on Bentley and our efforts to give him a better life. Update 5/13/2008: Bentley has been watching with great excitement as his fundraising thermometer has continued to rise at such a rapid pace. He is amazed at and so grateful for how many wonderful people have given so generously to his fund. Thanks to everyone's generousity Bentley now has enough money to have an MRI done to determine why he suffers from weakness in his hind legs!! Bentley began the process yesterday by visiting the vet to have pre-MRI bloodwork, urine analysis and EKG done. He has an appointment to have his MRI done on Monday, May 19th. Hopefully Bentley is on the road to becoming the strong, healthy dobe he was meant to be. Fingers crossed for Bentley!! Thank you everyone, Donna, Bentley's foster mom Update 6/08/2008: Thanks to your generous donations Bentley was able to have an MRI done to determine the cause of the weakness in his hind legs. After the MRI results were known he had a consultation with a neurologist at Southpaws Veterinary Referral Center. After examining Bentley and reviewing his MRI the neurologist has diagnosed Bentley to have Wobbler's Syndrome. Wobbler's Syndrome is suspected to be an inherited condition in Dobermans in which they suffer from spinal cord compression. The severity and progression of this disorder varies with each individual case. Bentley currently suffers from weakness in his hind legs but has full use of his front legs and does not appear to suffer any pain. He could remain this way for the rest of his natural life or he could get progressively worse over time. There is just no way to know how it will go with him. The neurologist has strongly recommended acupuncture to treat Bentley's disorder. She said she has seen amazing results from acupuncture with dogs like Bentley. We had a dog in DAR&E's care a few years ago who was much worse off than Bentley who did respond very well to acupuncture. The neurologist also recommends a couple tests to see if he has a chemical imbalance that may explain his habit of staring into space at times. While this was not the diagnosis we hoped for for dear Bentley the good news is that Bentley's quality of life is excellent at this time. He is a very happy boy who loves to play with the other dogs and gleefully runs across the fields at full speed. When he gets tired he rests for a few seconds then he is up and running again. Bentley is enjoying his life to the fullest and we hope to help him continue to enjoy it for many years to come. Bentley will be starting acupuncture treatments in the coming weeks as well as getting the other tests the neurologist recommended. I hope to get him a raised feeder and a raised Kurunda type bed to ease the strain on his neck and limbs. I will keep everyone posted on his progress. Bentley is such a sweet happy boy. As his foster mom, I really appreciate everyone's concern for him. He is such a joy to be around. I hope to get him out to some of the upcoming events so people can enjoy his effussive personality. Donna, Bentley's Foster Mom Update 7/14/2008 - BENTLEY FOUND HIS FOREVER HOME! I am over the moon with happiness in anouncing that our special soul Bentley was adopted today by a wonderful lady. She was instantly captivated by his gentle, loving spirit and he made himself right at home helping himself to her overflowing toy box. She is such a kind, loving person that I know Bentley will be totally spoiled and it couldn't have happened to a more deserving dog! I want to thank Jeannie who has been fostering Bentley for the last week because I was having some issues with my own dogs. Jeannie was Bentley's lucky charm who made this all happen. Jeannie you are such a treasure! I also want to thank Val and Rubin for doing her home visit and for suggesting she consider Bentley. Last but certainly not least, I want to thank all the volunteers who have followed Bentley's story and helped raise funds for his medical needs. Without your efforts this day would not have come. Thank you all so so much. If you have any fireworks left over from the 4th please light them up to celebrate this special day...Bentley's Day!! ~Donna, Bentley's Foster Mom If you would like to help Bentley by making a tax deductible donation, please send your check to DAR&E Treasurer, 1304 Crows Feet Rd. Marriotsville, MD 21104. Please notate that it is for Bentley’s Fund. Bentley will appreciate any donation you can make. Or you can make your donation via PayPal using any major credit card, select this button: Thank you for your support! FundTracker™ Powered by FastTrack Fundraising™