Craig Pankhurst, 41, from Thurstaston, Merseyside, used to be an elite swimmer but a devastating stroke two years ago left him unable to walk, communicate, or even see clearly.
Soon after his stroke, his family took in Rowlf who was a poodle-Newfoundland puppy who was just a foot tall at the time but has now grown to a six-foot-tall (when standing on his hind legs) giant weighing seven stone. But incredibly, he still thinks he’s a lapdog and often hops onto his owner’s knee for cuddles and practically squeezes out the family’s two bulldogs in their basket.
But it’s this adorable trait that helped Craig bounce back on his feet.
“Rowlf has had a huge impact on our lives,” explained Craig. “He came to me in a time that I really needed him. I don’t think he realizes how important he is to us.”
He continued: “We got Rowlf because we knew he’d be very active – and he certainly lived up to our expectations.
“He helped with my rehabilitation as my stroke was quite a significant bump in the road. He’s been such a support.”
Craig spent two weeks at Arrowe Park Hospital in Birkenhead, Wirral after he suffered his stroke and came back home unable to walk without help, unable to see clearly, and unable to communicate. He was understandably in low spirits.
“On April 28, 2018, I opened my eyes and the room was pitch black,” said Craig. “That only lasted a split second but when I regained some light coming into my eyes, my right eye saw the room rotating in one direction and my left eye saw the room rotating counter-clockwise.
“I walked to work two days later because I knew I wasn’t well enough to drive and what would usually take 10 minutes took over an hour. My coordination was all over the place.
“I then went to the hospital, they did a brain scan and found two areas of brain damage. The stroke affected me massively. I was in the hospital for a fortnight.
“Having daily exercise through walking improved my coordination, developed my strength in my left side and I was able to increase the speed I could walk over time.”
And he has steadily improved over the past few years and he credits Rowlf for playing a big part in that recovery.
“His personality and desire to play is infectious,” he explained. “You can’t help but smile inwardly and outwardly when he’s around. To start with I could only walk a kilometer. I actually did a 10K [this week].
“He’s absolutely helped me. Being a dog that needs exercising, on the days where I have suffered with depression and anxiety, he has forced me to go out.”
But Rowlf also has the love of the whole family who was just taken in by his lack of awareness of his own size.
“He’s a legend – he’s huge,” said Craig. “He doesn’t really know his own size – he thinks he’s a little puppy or the same size as the bulldogs.
“He’s coming up to two next month and he weighs about 7st 8lbs [50kg] now. When he stands on his hind legs he’s about 6ft and on all fours, his back is up to my 10-year-old’s hip.”
Craig continued: “He’s very funny. Rowlf will go to get on a normal-size [dog] bed and just sit down on it. He is so much bigger than the other two.
“He’s not clumsy, but he does like to lay on things and if that is a tiny bed, he tries to make himself as small as possible.
“He occasionally tries to hop up on to my lap. It’s quite amusing when he does. He thinks he’s a lapdog.
“But he’s so gentle and surprisingly easy to deal with in the house – apart from if he gets wet, comes inside and shakes. Then everything gets sprayed.
“Because of the size of him and how friendly he is, he’s created a lot of attention locally. Anyone who sees him falls in love.
“Kids will stop in their tracks and most of them just can’t believe what they’re seeing. People ask ‘what on earth is he?'”
The dog is even cheeky enough to try mooching the dinners of his canine brothers.
Craig said: “His diet is very similar to the other two dogs, but he will eat the others’ food sometimes.
“His portion is only slightly larger, but occasionally, if we’ve been on a super long walk he’ll try and eat the others’ food too and they let him do it!
“If Rowlf has finished his food and Dawson hasn’t, he’ll bumble over and eat that too.
“He rugby tackles Reefe and just jumps around. You’ve got a massive bundle of fur, running around the garden at 100mph and launching himself at Reefe.
“She’s constantly covered in bruises from where he’s knocked her over but she doesn’t mind – it’s a game to them both.”
But Rowlf has made not only in Craig’s life but in his charity, A Stroke of Luck, where the dog has been named an “ambassadog.”
The non-profit hopes to help stroke survivors regain and maintain their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
“Rowlf’s role is two-fold,” explained Craig. “He promotes exercise through our walks together and supports fundraising for the charity.
“Every day we walk a minimum of four to five kilometers together, for up to two hours.
“He’s fun, energetic, and engaging. He’s happy to stop and be pampered and play with everyone. He was ultimately bought for my recovery and it’s gone so well.
“Now his role is to bring happiness and light to the charity and anyone who engages with it.”
Replaced!