Are They Being Sent To Me?

[Charlies_Dad]

Jen, I think it's a wonderful idea. And I do believe there will be people who will help you whether it's donations or volunteering. The seniors and especially the old boys who have such a hard time getting adopted are so very sweet and so very much deserve the best in their golden years. I will support you, likely via donations first and then I would love to somehow help out in other ways even though I live a ways from MN.

[Guest mcsheltie]

There is a huge need for this. Your idea is stupendous!!!! I know many do not like Cesar Milan, but he says "we don't always get the dog we want, we get the dog we need". Which leads me to think that the dogs that enter our lives are taking us where we need to go. And it really seems to be the case for you. I think you have found your life's calling!

 

On the business side of things, you could look into linking with OSU or the Van Andel Institute. MSU currently has a canine cancer study. Piggie backing on these studies could bring in funding for you.

 

Bless you!

[Guest owenkennels]

aaaaaaaaaaa

[grey14me]

I think it's a wonderful idea!

[Guest greyt_learner]

I believe there is a need for this, and while I'm not emotionally strong enough to do it myself, I would support it in any way I could.

[Guest LindsaySF]

WAG has somehow ended up with several special needs hounds, we have joked about turning into a group that specializes in dogs with medical problems. But in all seriousness, I think a group that focuses on dogs with medical needs that would otherwise have nowhere to go is a great idea. Funding it won't be easy, but some people would prefer to donate to a group with special needs dogs instead of your "average" adoption group. If you can pair up with a local vet to get discounts (or like someone else mentioned, OSU in the case of cancer) that would help too.

[Guest Categrey]

If you've read my recent H&M threads....Whitey, Apollo, now Eyore....You know that osteo dogs seem to end up in my family somehow. In the "Seriously?" thread that's up right now, many have said that these guys are finding their way to me for a reason.

 

Maybe it's true. I've thought it myself many times. When Whitey came to us, and was diagnosed 2 weeks later, I was GRATEFUL that he was in our family. I was sad as hell for him, but nothing but purely grateful that he had come to us and ended up a part of our lives. What would have happened to him if he had still been getting bounced between foster homes? Or with someone who worked long hours, and may not have been able to care for him while he was sick? I told Whitey all the time how happy I was that he came to us.

 

We lost my heart boy, Crisco, nearly a year ago now. And when that happened, I was drowning. It was a week after losing our boy Sly (unexpectedly and traumatically) and within the 6-month period when we also lost Tanner, Annie and Abby. Crisco was the "last straw" and I literally sat on the couch for a week and did nothing but eat popcorn and watch movies of the "Bill and Ted" variety to keep myself from thinking. Left DH Lloyd to pick up the pieces of real life.

 

Then came Whitey. 11 years old. But the perkiest, strongest little dude that I've ever known. His osteo Dx made me get off the couch, because he needed me. I was lucky enough to care for him, lucky enough to know him. In his last days, he had metastasis in the radius and ulna of his remaining front leg, metastasis that had basically destroyed his spine, and mets in his lungs too. But Whitey had a will to be happy. So he still ran in the yard (short ways, but he ran), and he dug his one-armed holes, and he slept next to me with that one front paw resting on my face every night. He fought like hell until the very end. He was amazing. And he taught me that I don't get to drown in my sadness, because others need me.

 

Y'know, for some reason, I can do this. I can essentially run a "doggie hospice" and still manage to get up out of bed each morning. (Well, there may be some prescription meds involved.... ) Yes, it breaks my heart each time. My heart is in pieces on the floor each time. But the next one somehow puts it back together, just never exactly the same way.

 

So. Maybe they're being sent to me. I guess in the end I have the personality for this. I'm a fighter, and a researcher, and I'm not afraid to tell vets what they will and will not do with my dog. I can give them my heart, knowing that it'll be broken again, maybe in just a few short months.

 

What I can't do, unfortunately, is keep on paying for this. Sad, but true.

 

I dream of having a "rescue" where I take in just the old boys, or the guys with special needs. Find them a permanent home, or a permanent foster home, if I can. And otherwise give them a home for life with our family. Other adoption groups who get senior boy bounces, or bounces with serious medical issues that render them unadoptable, could send them to us and we would love them. It would need to be small, in order for me to give each of them enough care, maybe 8 dogs or so at a time. In my head, I call it The Old Boys' Club.

 

If there were any justice in the world, I would be independently wealthy and could just pay for this. Unfortunately, I'm the director of an adoption group, my husband works for the public school system, and we've paid for 2 international adoptions from China (and one more in the works). So this would have to be a non-profit that I would fundraise like crazy for.

 

Anyway. I guess my point (and I think I do have one, maybe) is... Do you think there is a need for a "rescue" like this? Are there groups who would want to send us their old guys? Are there people who would want to donate to a group like this? Is it even a slightly viable idea?

 

If the universe, or god, or karma, or whatever, really is sending me these guys, I just wish I could figure out a way to do more for them. Thoughts?

[Guest Categrey]

I just want to say that I think what you are doing is amazing and I admire you so much! My husband and have adopted our very first grey in December and recently had to have him put to sleep due to osteo which was a particularly aggressive form .We had discovered what a truly delightful different breed they are and fell in love with his quirky little nature and his loving ways. We miss him so much.He was diagnosed only @ a week before we had to put him to sleep.He was suffering terribly even with the pain meds.We didn't have a clue that he even had a problem till it was too progressed to do anything about it. I am a nurse and would love to do what you are considering if I only had the resources.That is what I would love to do in my retirement:give these wonderful creatures the love they deserve after they've given so much during their lives.

Edited August 15, 2010 by Categrey

[lflaherty45]

We proudly had 2 wonderful greys from the track, then fostered some. Of course, like everyone who fosters we failed on the 6th try and a 2x return stayed

with us at the age of 6. Then a 91/2 yr old boy was being returned and I knew he had to stay with us. I could not part with either one of them and our family of greys were now 4. We lost both of them to osteo and our 1st grey girl to transitional cell scarcoma, 2008, 2009 and Jan of 2010.

 

I decided I really could not stand to lose another, however, our remaining boy, Thor and God had other plans. Thor needed a companion and one morning I had my usual conversatin with God and told him I would check our friends website and if there were a Senior being returned he would stay with us. Usually, they do not have many returns, let alone a senior, but there he was. A few phone calls and a visit and Noah was ours, again a 9 1/2 yr old boy.

These seniors are the most fantasic dogs on the planet! There will always be a place here for the seniors, boy or girl, and we don't care how long they will be with us. They are so very special.

 

I wish you the very best and hope your dreams of a senior home comes true. Like many others who know how special the seniors are, I will be glad to support you.

[Guest kydie]

what a wonderful thought to have a rescue for these dogs I know there is a group here in Pa that takes a lot of seniors for placement,,,,, I think this is so wonderful

[crazygang]

Good luck with it if you do go ahead.....you are a lovely family that has had much tragedy!

 

A sanctuary for sick and terminally ill is a wonderful idea, we both wish our circumstances were that we could do it too instead of just fostering the poor condition greys.