Meet Chica

Chica has been in my care since she was 6 weeks old. She was purchased from a breeder not too long after we had moved to Austin TX.  When we arrived at the kennel all the doxie pups were running around full of puppy pep.  I just happened to look behind one of the dog houses and found a small almost impish doxie pup blissfully asleep.  I gently scooped her up, presented her to my wife and 18 years later she is still with us.  She is still healthy physically but her eyesight and hearing are rather diminished.  She has no problem knowing when it is her feeding time nor does she seem not too notice when it is our dinner time.  She has become very vocal with age and has never lost her appitite for her homemeade snacks( beef heart jerky).  She still eats raw beef heart at least twice a week and even a raw meaty bone is still no trouble for her.  She still has all but 2 of her teeth(one abcessed and had to be pulled and the other just turned up missing).  She lives with 5 other dogs(2 pitbulls, 1 rat terrier, 1 terrier mix and 1 other doxie) and can still navigate the house pretty well.  It is still encouraging the times I see her break into a brisk trot when she goes outdoors and she can still find her ramp to come back in after an outdoor romp.

Meet Sassy

“She’s stable for now,” the vet said.  “But since she’s 15 and so frail, we can’t perform surgery to remove the tumors.  She’ll run out of time at some point.”

 Sassy buried her head in my arms and shook until she realized we were heading home.  A second opinion confirmed what I already knew in my heart.  My only goal was to keep her happy and pain free.  I took the pills the vet offered and wondered again how to best care for this precious older pup I had rescued.

 I’d had Sassy for almost two years at the time of the second opinion, and my heart ached for her.  The first vet had also said she was too old for surgery.  When she was rescued, she had several large mammary tumors, cataracts, rotten teeth, hearing loss and only part of her tongue.  It appeared someone had neatly cut off the front half of her tongue.  But she still had sass and spirit!!

 Sassy claimed her place beside our bed within a few days.  She also staked out the end of the couch for naps.  Unable to jump up or down, she does a little dance when she wants to move.  She plays and runs with our other two dogs, and they accept her as part of our family.  She and I spend a lot of quiet time together at night after everyone has gone to bed.  She lets me hold her and whisper how much I love her,  how special she is and how much I’ll miss her when she goes to the Rainbow Bridge.  Sometimes she seems to savor these moments and will lay her head on my shoulder with a sigh.  Other times, she seems impatient to get on with life and doesn’t have time for the mushy stuff!

 Her vision continues to dim and the tumors continue to grow, but her spirit still shines!!!  She still runs and plays, rolling in the grass with delight.  She still eats well and sleeps without nightmares.  She follows me around the house, always wanting to be near.  I love her with all my heart and am amazed that God has entrusted me with her care.  She has taught me much about life and love, and I treasure every moment with this wonderful spirit!

Her Touch

 

He lays his old, gray muzzle on the soft blanket and sighs.

This is a good place, he thinks.

I have good food, clean water and a soft bed.

And then he feels her touch, soft and gentle on his head.

 

Thrown away because he was old, he’d almost lost his life in a shelter.

No one wanted the “sick old dog with no hair.”

She had driven through two states to rescue him.

Too afraid to sit in her lap, he was comforted by her touch all the way home.

 

He only sees shadows now; his hearing reduced to muffles.

He sometimes gets lost in this new place,

Wandering around the large fuzzy shapes in search of her.

For she will tenderly pick him up and kiss away his fears.

 

She holds him gently because of his old bones,

And whispers loving words in ears that can’t quite hear.

But he feels the kindness and compassion soothe his heart.

He sighs again and lays his head on her shoulder.

 

His bad dreams don’t come as often any more.

He only has to lift his head to see her dark shape

Bending over his bed at night to arrange the blankets

And softly stroke his head while he drifts back to sleep.

 

Yes, he thinks, this is a very good place to spend my last days.

I belong here with her for she loves me just as I am.

Her love and kindness and tenderness will sustain me

Until the soft touch of God takes me home.

 

By C Tumlin

Meet Stump!

Stump, 2009 Westminster Best in Show, an amazing 10 years old!!!

Meet Roland

I got lucky enough to get Roland (the large black dog) right before he got to the pound. He was an old farm hound. Never been in a house. His old owner sold their farm and moved and left the dog. The new owners were taking him to the pound. I wasn’t really ready for a dog. My house wasn’t built yet and I was living with friends . But I just couldn’t let him go to the pound. When I picked him up he had the most god awful breath you could imagine! After a trip to the vet we found out that he had a bone of some sort wedged in the roof of his mouth! After removing it and treating his heartworm’s, he turned into a laid back lazy old fart. and my best friend.

and then there is Kita. His previous owner kept him tied to a tree in his back yard. He would shake loose on a regular basis and come over to our house where we would feed him and give him water. We could tell he was badly malnourished. one day Kita showed up bleeding badly from his neck. Animal control picked him up and told me that they were going to put him down. I refused to let them do that. After many many trips to the vet to rid him of all his worms and other health conditions, Kita was a happy healthy dog. A lot of people from around the country heard about Kita through a myspace page that my roommate started and donations poured in to help with the doctor bills. He went from weighing 70 pounds to 130 pounds in about 8 months. He acted like a puppy but was actually around 12 or 13 years old. kitas age caught back up with him May 25th of 2007 and he had to be put down. But not before making tons of friends and changing one little boys life forever. When our neighbors moved in next door, their 4 year old boy was terrified of ALL dogs. But when he saw Kita, he thought he was some “super hero” dog from a kids show that he watched everyday. So we went along with that scenario and he has loved all dogs ever since. He is the little boy shown in the picture.

Meet Jago

Meet Jago, the narcotics dog for the Daphne, Alabama Police Dept. After serving 8 years on the narcotics detail, Jago was retired this June. He sat very comfortably on his well-earned wooly fleece, while his handlers regaled the audience with his heroic drug finds. While Jago still yearns to join his handler on the daily patrol, for right now he seems very happy to stay home and play.

Meet Toto

It was Christmas Eve and 21 degrees outside. The last thing Gunnar and Marie Nelson expected to find on their door was a shivering, almost hairless white mess of a dog. This dog was in such bad shape they could not even tell that it was a Lhasa Apso. It just looked like a rat. They were afraid to bring it in the house for fear that it would give something to their other dog who was a pedigree show dog. But how could they turn away a homeless dog on Christmas Eve? So began the story of Toto. And the most amazing part of the story of Toto? Toto is 19 years old. She still walks about a half a block each day and she LOVES other dogs. At 19 years old, Toto is the oldest dog on These Old Dogs web site!

Onyx

 

A 14-year old standard poodle who still walks with his owner, Patrick O’Kelly every night for 3 miles along the beachfront in Naples, Florida. Onyx is a North American Champion, South American Champion, International Champion and holds a U.S. Best in Show. Now that is one TITLED pooch.  

Meet Clyde

Clyde began his life as a show dog in Pennsylvania, but when one of his lower permanent teeth came in crooked, his show career was over!   But Clyde’s sunniest of dispositions made him an excellent candidate for Pet Therapy work.  After he passed his qualifying exam and strenuous interview, Clyde became a member of the Westchester Medical Centers therapy team.  Clyde was outstanding at his job.  He was credited with helping a woman from Ecuador come out of a coma, curing a child of nightmares and helping in the annual blood drive, where he not only cheered up the blood donors but cleaned up any left over cookies as well!  Clyde died of cancer at age 13 and the lives he touched,  have been forever changed. 

Meet Bosco

Bosco, the biggest, hairiest, goofiest, most un coordinated dog in the world. But on a warm late night in August of 1996, he heard a noise in the house and barreled to the hallway where an intruder had entered. Bosco barked, pounced with no real aim but a lot of bulk, and succeeded in breaking the guys arm, nose and knocking him unconscious. Bosco’s human family never laughed at his uncoordinated bulk again.

Meet Corey

Corey was hit by a car at the age of 3 and had to have his leg amputated.  But that didn’t stop this feisty guy from leading a full and complete life. Today at the age of 13 Corey still takes his daily walks and fetches a mean ball.  Corey was recently honored in the Orange Beach Easter Dog Parade as the oldest entry.