- September 8, 2024
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By his own account, Sarasota's Kyle McCreight was broken.
Lonely and depressed after going through a divorce, McCreight decided in 2019 to adopt a dog — three-legged Tre from Nate's Honor Animal Rescue in Lakewood Ranch.
He did it with the hope of being able to focus on something other than himself.
But months after adopting the black Labrador retriever, McCreight learned that Tre might lose his other back leg as well.
"I noticed him falling a lot," said McCreight, who is an occupational therapist at Doctors Hospital in Sarasota. "His hip was disintegrating. The vets removed a joint, so basically there is no hip there. They pinned his knee."
He treated Tre like he would one of his patients at Doctors Hospital, working with him each day. Pushing lightly against his back leg, and allowing him to push back. It didn't seem to be working, though.
"I started thinking, 'Maybe this dog is falling apart,'" McCreight said.
The weeks passed and McCreight continued working with Tre, who couldn't get off the floor. It was an interesting mix because McCreight had been training in the hope of landing a spot on American Ninja Warrior, the longtime NBC series that tests the fittest of athletes on what is billed as "the world's most difficult obstacle course."
McCreight was in peak physical condition, and he was paired with a dog who couldn't walk.
Then one day, everything changed. Working in his back yard, McCreight watched as Tre struggled to his feet, then walked 10 feet before collapsing.
It was a heroic effort, and it let McCreight know that things would be alright. He was consumed with emotion.
So he did a very un-Ninja Warrior-like thing.
He cried.
"I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, he can walk again,'" McCreight said. "It was so motivating."
While doubting the judiciousness of his decision to adopt Tre in those first few months after he brought him home, McCreight realized it was one of the best decisions he had made in his life.
When he picked up Tre from Nate's Honor Animal Rescue, he was thinking he was doing it mostly for the dog.
"As much as I needed a dog, he needed someone to handle his situation," McCreight said. "But I needed a purpose, too. I remember thinking, 'This just feels right,' although I didn't know what to expect."
He had heard good reviews about Nate's and he had seen Tre's photo on the website, so he made the trip to Lakewood Ranch, eventually playing with Tre in the grass for about an hour before making up his mind.
"They told me Tre was the sweetest dog ever," he said of Nate Honor's staff members. "They said no one had come to see him. He was thin, and you could see some bald spots on his skin. Nate's (staff) loved him. They were just unsure how he would progress. A vet told me he would never be the kind of dog who would chase squirrels.
"But I remember his eyes. You could see love. His eyes were full of joy."
Rob Oglesby, who is president of Nate's Honor Animal Rescue, was not surprised that McCreight cherishes Tre.
"We always say we rescue people as much as we rescue animals," Oglesby said.
He said potential adopters often come to Nate's because they are going through a tough time in their life.
"We never know the reason (for their struggles), and they don't tell us," Oglesby said. "But they know this is unconditional love. Dogs and cats are there for you."
While Tre took a while to be adopted out, Oglesby said there is always someone willing to connect with a pet who might have physical challenges.
"One time we had a dog three years and it was very difficult (to get interest from the public in him)," Oglesby said. "Then he lost a leg, and right away he got adopted. People want to help."
After Tre's 10-foot stroll, he quickly began to recover from his surgery, and he and McCreight were just getting started. McCreight, who now is 36, would take Tre to City Island, and wade out waist deep. He would hold Tre, who would doggy paddle around.
As Tre battled through adversity, McCreight figured that he should, too.
He picked up his efforts to land a spot on American Ninja Warrior, but besides getting rejection notes, he broke his wrist in training.
"I was thinking that I wasn't cut out for this," he said. "But Tre was getting through everything and he always had such a good smile. You know, dogs live in the moment."
Tre's courage and determination inspired McCreight to rededicate himself to training for American Ninja Warrior. He kept applying, and on the fifth attempt, in 2022, he was accepted. He competed in 2023, and is back on the show this year, having qualified for the semifinals.
He doesn't know when his next competition will air on the show, so people will have to watch each week (the show airs on Mondays at 8 p.m.). While he knows how he did, he signed a contract to not divulge the outcome.
Those who win their way through to the finals and complete the final course can win $1 million. In the show's 16 seasons, only three competitors have claimed the grand prize. The show debuted in 2009.
The show does have some regular competitors, and McCreight hopes to earn more appearances. He already has applied for season 17.
His appearances have led to him being somewhat of a celebrity in Sarasota. He and Tre speak to nonprofits, and make appearances for DogPerfect owners Rob and Linda Emery, who have Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, and University Park locations.
McCreight has brought Tre to the Sarasota Severed Society, which has a slogan of "Ordinary Amputees Living Extraordinary Lives," and Ocala's Never Say Never Foundation, which has a vision "to help children and young adults with challenges to overcome adversity with a positive attitude and to understand that you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it."
McCreight has called those events "life-changing."
"We set up an obstacle course for the kids at a Never Say Never event and one of the kids who had no arms was just having a blast on the obstacle course that I had put together. It was so inspirational. And they loved Tre."
At the Never Say Never events, McCreight said kids were called up at the end of the event and surprised with new prostheses. He now does a fundraiser (gofund.me/653c0d39) to raise money for prostheses for those kids.
"My ultimate dream is to own a Ninja gym," McCreight said. "I could do therapy with kids. I could use my platform."
With more responsibilities and appearances, McCreight wanted to make sure Tre, who weighs 70 pounds, stayed trim and healthy. the Emerys hooked him up with DogPerfect's Senior Nutrition Specialist Kyle Baker.
Baker said dogs like Tre were the reason he got into the pet nutrition industry.
"When I came across Tre, the main thing was to add strength to the rest of his joints and increase his mobility and flexibility. We wanted to take out the inflammation.
He used hyaluronic acid in food and treats to add lubrication to Tre's joints. DogPerfect now sells WildPaw Wonder Bites, that was developed by Baker and now is used by McCreight for Tre.
Baker hopes McCreight and Tre can inspire others to adopt dogs with special needs.
"Anybody who has the empathy to adopt dogs with special needs is amazing because there could be more complications and financial needs," Baker said.
But Baker said the upside can be phenomenal.
"Kyle (McCreight) uses Tre to help motivate kids missing limbs," Baker said. "It is an amazing story what he is doing with that dog ... a beautiful thing. It makes you tear up."
Tre has made McCreight cry, and smile again.
"This dog literally changed my life," McCreight said.
