Dog Owner with ALS Gets Christmas Wish to Go on Walks Again with Her Pup Granted Before the Holidays

Christmas came early for 34-year-old Brooke Eby and her senior Chihuahua, Dray.

In 2023, Eby was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Since then, she’s been sharing an honest, often funny look at her life with the condition on social media — and adopted a personal motto: “Live life in dog years.”

“When I was diagnosed, the prognosis was to live 2–5 years from your first symptoms,” Eby told Chewy. “I was like, well, I’m 33 now. If I only have a couple of years, I need to make every year worth seven. And I looked at Dray, and I realized he’s living every year like it’s seven. So I just figured we’d kind of age together.”

Eby adopted Dray a decade ago, and he’s been a constant source of joy, comfort, and comic relief — especially since her diagnosis. But ALS, a progressive, terminal disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, eventually took away one of their favorite rituals: going on walks together.

“Walking Dray became a game of adaptations. I’d try to use my walker, and Dray would knock it over. I’d try to use a cane, and he thought it was a stick and would chase it,” she recalled.

Once Eby began using a power wheelchair, it became unsafe for Dray to walk beside her on a standard leash. The leash could easily get tangled in the chair, putting both of them at risk. Eventually, Eby had to stop joining Dray on his daily strolls.

That changed when Chewy Claus — Chewy’s annual holiday pet letter-writing campaign that grants special pet wishes — opened for submissions in 2025. Eby and Dray decided to write in.

“What I really want is for Chewy Claus to take her ALS away, but I know that’s not possible,” Dray’s letter “said.” “I just want to go on a walk with my mom again.”

As soon as Chewy saw the heartfelt request, the company set out to make their holiday wish a reality.

Chewy partnered with Bold Lead Designs, a company specializing in gear for service dogs, to engineer a leash that could safely work with Eby’s power wheelchair. Bold Lead Designs created a spring-loaded leash extension that attaches directly to the chair. The design lets Dray roam on leash while staying at a safe distance from the wheels, so he and Eby can walk side by side again without fear of tangles or accidents.

The custom setup was built specifically for Dray and Eby’s wheelchair, but it may be just the beginning.

“Now that we know it works, we’re going to look into how to make it for other people,” said Bold Lead owner and designer Katrina Boldry.

“There’s not really a ton of adaptations being made in the pet world right now. I hope it opens up a lot of independence for people and more activity for their pets,” Eby added.

As part of fulfilling Dray’s wish, Chewy also donated $10,000 to Team Gleason, a foundation focused on improving the lives of people living with ALS, including helping them stay connected to their pets.

The new leash has already started doing exactly what Dray hoped. After a little initial hesitation, the Chihuahua quickly got used to the equipment — and now he and Eby are back to strolling the neighborhood, enjoying fresh air, chatting with neighbors, and soaking up time together.

“I feel a lot more independent. Having something like this is one less time I have to ask someone to do something for me,” Eby said. “I’m shocked at how quickly he adapted. He just accepted it and started walking. It’s a good lesson for all of us.”

Chewy Claus is currently accepting letters for the holiday season and will donate five bowls of pet food to an animal in need for each letter received. To submit a letter for your pet, visit Chewy Claus’ website.