'He Stole My Heart': Stem Cell Therapy May Help Pup Walk (Video)

Jan Denny thinks Bolt, a partially paralyzed terrier mix she spotted at a shelter, would be a good therapy dog for children battling their own health challenges. (Screenshot: MLive.com video)

» Get the Patch daily newsletter and e-alerts.

A plucky pup partially paralyzed in a car accident is zipping around in a motorized cart as veterinarians await approval for stem cell therapy to restore movement in his hind legs.

Jan Denny, an administrator at Kelley’s Animal Clinic in Walker, MI, told the Grand Rapids News/MLive.com she spotted the injured brown and white terrier mix at a Muskegon animal shelter, then appealed to veterinarian Dr. James Kelley to see if he could help.

“He stole my heart,” Denny admitted.

Because Bolt’s spinal cord wasn’t completely severed, Kelley thinks Bolt can recover the use of his lower half with stem cell treatment. He has been in contact with a stem cell research center in Kentucky to get the dog approved for in-house treatment.

Regenerative stem cell therapy is increasingly used in veterinary medicine as pet owners have shown a willingness to spend thousands of dollars on their pets’ comfort and extend their lives. But in the stray Bolt’s case, Kelley’s motive is purely altruistic.

“Maybe we can regenerate some of that (feeling) back, and maybe we can’t, but it’s certainly worth a try,” Kelley said.

Also on Patch:

• Watch Dramatic Coast Guard Rescue of Dog from Icy Michigan Lake
• Purr-fect Ending for Flick, the Frozen Feline
• Pet That Scares Most People to Death Curls Around Toddler: Watch
• Decked Out in Haute Haberdashery, Frankie the Yorkie Breaks the Internet with Facebook Likes
• Abandoned Dog Chews Off Leg to Free Herself from Chain

In any case, Bolt is one lucky dog, whether he’s adopted by a family or goes on to live a lie of service.

Denny, whose heart the pup holds, can’t help thinking that time with Bolt would be therapeutic for disabled children at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, and she’s looking into seeing if he can be trained as a therapy dog.

“Small children who have a disability could meet Bolt, and see that Bolt has a disability, too,” Denny said. “It would be good therapy for both.”