November 2007
The last line in the October Rescue Report was “We started out with two dogs, thinking we could foster one at a time. Now we’re at seven and it seems normal.” We didn’t have a clue that a short time later we would have eight dogs in the house. It was quite a month.
Thor was a combined effort of SCWS Rescue and SRO. He came from a drug house in Corvallis back in July; SRO was called to take him when the sheriff refused to let him return there. Thor was a timid dog, probably abused and very dirty. When Melissa’s vet didn’t have any appointments available to neuter him, Thor came to stay here so our vet could do it. Those of you who came to the Rescue Picnic in July might remember him as a large blonde mix.
Thor was adopted by a couple who met him briefly in Corvallis; they have homes in Corvallis, Portland, and on the Oregon Coast. For over three months we received reports that Thor was fitting in wonderfully and had a great home. Suddenly out of nowhere we were told Thor was coming back because they no longer wanted him. Although the story isn’t complete, we now realize they fancied themselves experts on dogs but didn’t have any idea how to handle a timid dog. They reinforced his insecurities until he didn’t want to be with them, and then one of them reached into the crate while he was hiding. The result was a dog with a bite history.
We considered whether or not we would have to euthanize Thor, something none of us wanted to do when his only offense was the result of fear. He came back to live with us and get an assessment, and he showed himself to be insecure but looking for direction in his life. We called an applicant in Campbell River, BC who was on the waiting list; we gave her Thor’s complete history and she is going adopt him. She is knowledgeable about dogs and lives alone with one other Samoyed in a quiet area. At this writing transport is scheduled for the 12th. We are not charging an adoption fee, and in return the adopter has agreed to sign a “hold harmless” agreement to protect Rescue in the event he bites again, but we truly don’t believe he will.
Katie has been listed on Petfinder for weeks now without a single inquiry. A combination of her age and mixed ancestry means people who want a Samoyed don’t ask about her, while people willing to take a mix don’t look at purebred rescue listings. She has probably had skin allergies her entire life, judging by the wear on her teeth from chewing on herself. Her hair has grown back now that she has proper nutrition but her allergies have not gone away. Recently she was put on an herbal supplement we hope will help; if it doesn’t then we will have to consider cortisone and/or allergy testing.
Cody came from the Shelton shelter in September. When he was neutered the vet found one testicle was a large tumor so we wanted to wait to see if it had spread. We’re ready to adopt him to a good home, but he has developed a small growth in his mouth and we need to get it removed first. He is a happy go lucky kind of guy, always at our feet and wanting attention. Slightly deaf and possibly a senior citizen, he will be a good companion for someone who doesn’t want the chore of taking on a puppy.
The first dog we placed after taking over rescue was Dakota, adopted by a family in Lacey. On their application they answered the question about what they would do if they moved, and they said “we would never move somewhere we couldn’t take our dog.” Well, a week ago they called to say they were moving and Dakota didn’t have a place in the new home. He is now 10 years old and has spent more than half his life loyal to them; now he needs a new home. We may get used to this sort of thing in rescue but we will never understand how people could do this to part of their family. If you are interested in helping a dog who is still active and gets along well with small children, please contact us.
We close this month with the happy story of Sophie. It started sadly as we picked her up from the Bellevue Humane Society. She had been a stray in Renton and her family hadn’t come looking for her. She is a very old girl, small in size, and her teeth were in terrible shape and she must have been in great pain. When she had urine in her blood our vet did an x-ray looking for stones and found a large mass surrounding her left kidney. Sophie also has a significant heart murmur.
Who on earth would adopt an old Sammy girl who is only going to be a hospice dog? For the third time in the last few years, the answer is Carey Grummitt. He previously took Madison and Snowy, both from the Tacoma Humane Society, and each time he lost one he called to say he was ready to do it again. On November 10 he came to meet her, and when he left she was sitting comfortably on the seat next to him. Now Sophie has a real home to live out the rest of her life. Carey is officially a foster home so we can help with medical expenses (we had a number of donations specifically for Sophie), but she will know this as her real home. Please join us in offering our sincere thanks to Carey for his love and support of old dogs who need him.
