“When he said he was willing to give to that, I can be No. 9 and maybe in 10-15 years when he retires and I’m still kicking, I can get No. 5 back,” Gano said. “The opportunity to give to something is exciting, and the number is obviously very special to Kayvon. While it is special to me as well, there’s a whole lot of meaning in that No. 5 to him. I just wanted to be a good teammate and also be able to support others throughout the whole process.”
Puppies Behind Bars provides service dogs for wounded war veterans and first responders, in addition to explosive-detection canines for law enforcement. The charity also provides healing on the other end of the process, as the puppies are raised by incarcerated individuals. According to its mission statement, as the puppies “mature into well-loved, well-behaved dogs, their raisers learn what it means to contribute to society rather than take from it. PBB programs bring the love and healing of dogs to hundreds of individuals every year. The dogs bring hope and pride to their raisers, and independence and security to those they serve.”
Both Gano and Thibodeaux have expressed that wearing No. 5 has a special significance to them. For Thibodeaux, the number represents his five friends who believed in him, and the promise he made to them that they would all be successful. And for Gano, he chose No. 5 when he signed with the Giants in 2020 to pay homage to his five children, who inspired him during his 20 months away from football while dealing with injuries to his left plant leg.
So Gano knew that if he was going to finally give up No. 5, he would have to make sure the deal was worth it. And being able to make a donation to a charity that was close to his heart fit the bill. Gano comes from a long military family tradition, and the Giants had previously worked with the charity to present a puppy to a soldier at a home game, so Puppies Behind Bars was the perfect choice.
“The whole idea behind the number five being special to myself and being special to Kayvon was being able to help five people get the five dogs and be able to make an impact in five people’s lives for the better. That was the whole goal behind that,” Gano said.