st. Francis, Wisconsin (CBS 58) — Southeast Wisconsin’s beloved police K-9 is a reminder of why time is precious.
Retired St. Francis police officer K-9 Bane and his handler, Detective Holly McManus, are dealing with an illness that causes Bane’s body to slowly disintegrate.
“We are preparing for the next step,” McManus said.
Last week Bain came home from a weekly therapy appointment with a “grief folder,” McManus wrote on K-9 Bain’s Facebook page.
“The vet noticed his left leg was a little weaker,” McManus told CBS 58.
This is a new development McManus has been preparing for since Bane was first diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy earlier this year.
“It’s been rough, but I can wake up the next morning and keep going,” McManus said.
K-9 is getting used to walking with a wheelchair and a special harness, which McManus says is becoming more and more necessary these days.
“He’s limping on his hind legs when we go for a walk, and then we lift them up,” McManus said.
Through it all, detectives said, Bane still feels the joy of being a dog.
“He’s still that grumpy old man when I say his spirit is still there, but let’s get to work nonetheless,” McManus said.
His work will be forever honored by a heritage statue that will be placed in front of the St. Francis Civic Center this spring.
“We measured everything from the width and height of his ears, to the circumference of his nose, to the width of his tail, to the width of his feet,” McManus said.
The K-9 Bane Hero Fund has raised over $20,000, according to McManus.
Donations help pay for the statue and Bane’s weekly treatment.
“Just today a gentleman drove up from Sheboygan County to donate cash to his fundraiser and have him mourn how much this has affected everyone,” McManus said.
While McManus prepared for the inevitable, he was relieved to learn that Bane had touched the lives of many in the community.
You can donate to the K-9 Bane Hero Fund here.
Source: www.cbs58.com
