The following story is a finalist in the Rescue to Royalty Challenge. Three grand prize winners will receive a $250 shopping spree, while a shelter of their choosing will be awarded $2,000 in cash and needed supplies! You can vote for your favorite story here through May 8!

The following is the account of my big boy Bear who was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy soon after I adopted him. I was told by some people that the best thing to do was to euthanize Bear because there wasn’t much you could do to give him a good life. However, that scenario was not in my DNA. I could not give up on Bear, and not giving up on him was the best decision I ever made.

PHOTO: JOSEPH GIORDANO

Bear was strong and gave me 10 years of love, many smiles and, of course, a few scares occasionally thrown in before he crossed over Rainbow Bridge in February of 2020. My life would have been empty without him by my side. I feel very blessed that I had him with me all those years, and I think about him and miss him dearly. Bear will always be in my heart.

The following is Bear’s story that he would tell in his own words:

PHOTO: JOSEPH GIORDANO

"Hi everyone, my dad calls me Bear Bear, and I fight the monster called epilepsy! I was rescued by The Last Resort and adopted by my dad in March of 2010. One week and a half after dad adopted me, something bad happened. Dad said that I had a grand mal seizure and, for a while, I didn't know where I was or what was happening to me.

"Dad took me to AERA (Animal Emergency Referral Associates) to a neurologist to find out what was wrong with me. My doctor ruled out all the really bad things and said that I am epileptic and would need to take medicine to control my epilepsy.

"The good news is that the medicine that I was given works really well for me. If I have an incident, it is very mild and very infrequent, which makes me and my dad very happy. I have to go to my doctor every year to test my blood to make sure that my numbers are where they should be so that I stay healthy.

PHOTO: JOSEPH GIORDANO

"I don't let this monster get me down. I have been told that I can live a long and happy life, so no one should be afraid to adopt a fur-kid who is like me. Please keep all fur-kids like me in your prayers.

Love,
Bear"

Love you, Bear Bear! You will never be forgotten!

This story was submitted by Joseph Giordano in support of The Last Resort Animal Rescue. You can read more Rescue to Royalty Challenge stories and vote for your favorite here!