TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — No mater your species, aging is inevitable, but while human have specialists and whole industries to help make our final years active and enjoyable, the same structures don't exist for our pets.
Tucsonan Kate Titus is making it her life's mission to help dogs and their owners enjoy every step of their walk through life.
“You love your dog whether they’re chasing a stick or chasing a ball when they’re four, or whether they’re fifteen and can’t see anything below the center [and] have canine dementia," she said, gesturing to her dog Helen.
Titus has four dogs of her own— all with their own challenges with mobility— she opened A Loyal Companion in 2015 as Tucson's first canine fitness and mobility center, but her passion for helping dogs with disabilities started year earlier with her dog Harley.
“He had what’s called a CCL tear or an ACL tear in his leg," Titus said. "I wanted to spend more time with him, and that’s how I launched a loyal companion.”
She says Harley was the third dog she ever fit for a leg brace, eventually expanding her reach to help other families find braces and prosthetic limbs for their pets.
“Once I started working more with the animals and with their pet parents, I realized that there was a huge hole here,” she said.
Through swim sessions, gym sessions and emotional support for pets and their people, like Mariana Silveira and her dog, a shar pei named Bloom.
“When she was a little over a year, she started limping," Silveira said. "I got some X rays and she was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia."
Bloom had dysplasia in both front legs, requiring surgery. Silveira said she was shocked, but had gone through the physical therapy process before with a previous shar pei.
She says, though it adds some challenges to daily life, putting int eh effort for her animals is worth it “because they’re my family. My pets are my family," she said.
With Kate's help, Silveira and Bloom leave the pool each week ready to dive into the next chapter of their lives.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
