They proposed euthanasia.
We have chosen life.
Paralyzed after being hit by a stray bullet, Tyron is proof that another way out exists.
The tragedy
On Thursday, January 9, 2025, Tyron's life takes a sudden turn.
That day, Tyron was with his master.
An ordinary moment, a familiar presence, total trust.
Then suddenly, the unthinkable happened. A shootout erupted.
Chaos, fear, screams.
In this sudden violence, Tyron's master is mortally wounded.
Tyron, however, is hit by a stray bullet.
The bullet lodged itself along his spine.
His body collapses.
Its hind legs are no longer responding.
In a matter of seconds, Tyron not only loses his mobility…
But also his anchor, his security, his family.
Left to his own devices, wounded, disoriented, Tyron survives as best he can.
The bullet lodged itself along his spine.
An alert and euthanasia considered
An alert is then posted in the lost animals Facebook group created by Brigitte, saying that a seriously injured dog needs help.
Brigitte sees the message.
She can’t ignore it.
She goes straight to the veterinary clinic where Tyron has been brought.
There, she’s told that if no one comes forward for him, euthanasia may be considered.
Brigitte refuses to accept that outcome.
She refuses to let his story end there.
She says he won’t be put down that she will start a fundraiser, find an adoptive family, and do everything she can to help. She believes there has to be a way.
But days pass.
Messages go unanswered.
And finding a family willing to adopt a paralyzed dog proves incredibly difficult.
Brigitte's choice
Then Brigitte makes a decision she hadn't anticipated. She simply says:
"I'll take it with me."
It's not a choice of comfort. Brigitte lives in an apartment, and her landlord didn't want dogs.
She had already managed to get one dog accepted… but welcoming a second one risked putting her in difficulty.
She knows it.
And yet, she knows one thing above all: she cannot abandon Tyron.
Brigitte is no stranger to animal rights activism.
She has already adopted a dog.
She also shares her life with two parrots, one of which is a rescue.
Saving, protecting, repairing: this is already part of who she is.
That day, Brigitte chose not to abandon him.
Unexpected help
Very quickly, another reality emerges: the care is demanding.
The costs are immense.
Specialized veterinary care, rehabilitation, wheelchair…
That's when a foundation located on the neighboring island of Curaçao reached out to him.
This foundation believes in Tyron.
It finances all the necessary care and equipment.
Thanks to this support, Tyron survives.
Better still, he starts living again.
Beyond the injuries, the invisible trauma
Tyron's injuries are not solely physical.
The trauma is profound.
Since the shooting, Tyron has been living in fear of fire.
The simple friction of a match, the sound of a lighter, a sound resembling a detonation…
and his body froze.
He is trembling.
He is trying to escape.
As if he were constantly reliving the moment when everything changed.
Tyron didn't just get shot.
He went through absolute fear.
And yet, despite all this, Tyron moves forward.
Thanks to the help received.
Thanks to love.
Thanks to solidarity.
When a life becomes a message.
From Tyron to the Tyron Foundation
This story will forever mark Brigitte.
Around her, she too often hears the same stories, of owners forced to make the most painful choice, that of euthanasia.
Not because the animal is suffering beyond recovery, but because the care is financially inaccessible.
She then realizes that Tyron is not an isolated case.
He is the symbol of a larger, more silent, more unjust problem.
This is how the Tyron Foundation was born.
An association created to transform euthanasia into hope.
To support owners of sick or disabled animals.
To offer an alternative when care is possible.
To remind everyone that no life should be sacrificed due to lack of resources.
Tyron is alive.
But above all, Tyron became a message.
A message of hope. A message of solidarity. A message for all those who refuse to give up.