From Rescue to Recovery: How Two Dogs Healed Together and Overcame PTSD

Rescue Tales is a content series that celebrates the inspiring rescue stories of pets within the Pet Releaf community. Each story reveals their journey to finding a forever home, highlighting the impact of second chances, fresh starts, and the care they receive to help them live their best lives. 

About My Rescue: 

Pet name(s): Bandit & Boomer 

Breed(s): Bandit is a Great Pyrenees mix. Boomer is a Choclate Street Dog 

Age(s): Bandit is about 8 years old and Boomer is about 6 years old - ball park. 

Social Media: @thegoodestgoodboybandit  

What is your rescue pet's background or story? Do you know anything about their life before they came into your care? 

We adopted Bandit two weeks after putting down our beloved mutt, at just 6 years old, from lymphoma. I always said Bandit was my band-aid, because he really helped me get through an unimaginably difficult time. He was about a year old when we got him and a DNA test shows that he comes from a long line of Great Pyrenees guard dogs, which is evident from his nocturnal habits and his stoic demeanor. After about two years, the same rescue organization we worked with to get Bandit contacted us about a delicious chocolatey street dog that was hit by a car in Texas and would likely be put down because of his inability to walk. We jumped on the chance to grow our family and welcomed Boomer a few days later. Not surprisingly at all, he was able to walk and run within days of arriving. 

How did you find your rescue pet? Did you adopt your pet from a shelter, rescue organization, or through a different avenue?  

Both Bandit and Boomer were adopted through the rescue organization Eleventh Hour Rescue in Randolph, New Jersey. 

Did you face any challenges during the adoption process or after bringing your pet home? Has your rescue pet's past experiences influenced their behavior or interactions with you? 

Bandit and Boomer both carry emotional scars from their pasts (don’t we all?), with some signs of PTSD and other emotional troubles.  

Did your pet have any special needs or requirements when you first brought them home? 

Boomer’s inability to walk was a concern initially, but he quickly regained his mobility within days of his arrival.  

About a year ago, Bandit tore both his ACLs and required surgery. I started giving him Pet Releaf, mostly to slow him down while he recuperated, but he also started showing signs of night terrors and sleep startle reflex, which has been alleviated, to a degree. I haven't tried the Sentesa Advanced Care Capsules to manage his discomfort yet but now that we're weaning him off of his pain meds, that might be a great option for rainy/humid days here in NJ. 

Does your pet have any ongoing health issues now? 

As far as health issues now, nothing serious. Boomer is part Great Dane so he's naturally afraid of his own shadow. The CBDs help keep him brave, especially around his dominant older brother. Bandit, on the other hand, has issues with sleep startle reflex and night-time aggression. The CBDs have helped relax him enough so that he doesn't attack every time he's roused from sleep. We've had a few incidents of him attacking me early in the morning so having the relaxing effect of Pet Releaf has taken a little stress out of sleeping in the same bed (which I'm aware we shouldn't be doing). 

What Pet Releaf products or other supplements do you use to support your rescue pet? 

They love their Pet Releaf calming chews. They have been a life saver after Bandit’s recent double ACL surgeries and with Boomer’s PTSD from being a poor little street dog on the mean streets of Texas.