The St. Louis Senior Dog Project

Sometimes we worry

Bennie, Brutus and Wally in front of the tree.

The St. Louis Senior Dog  Project is a not-for-profit dog  rescue  organization   specializing in older   dogs but taking in and finding homes for dogs of   all   ages...even   puppies.    We'll have dogs for adoption from 11 to 3 Saturday,December 1, and noon to 3 Sunday, December 2, in the Kirkwood Petco near I-44 and Lindbergh  To see which dogs will be there as well as other adoptable dogs, go  Here.

 

We worry.  I worry.  We rescue these dogs, live with them for days, week, months, ant then send them into new homes.  And then we worry.  Will this be a good home?  Did I check the adopter out carefully enough?  Often I call or email, begging (politely, of course) for news and reassurences.

One excellent reassurence came today in the above picture of the three senior labs (Bennie, Brutus and Wally) posing in front of the Christmas tree.  These dogs really hit the lottery.  Old and big should have worked against them, but instead all three found a home together.  We worried and wondered if the three would all work out.  They did.  We're happy.

I was thinking about, worrying about, Jaxx, another fine dog recently adopted.  Sometimes I think that a particular dog might have just disappeared shortly after his or her adoption.  Ridiculous, I know, but it does happen.  So today I received a photo of Jaxx in his new home along with his canine pal, Lady.  I can see that he'll never jump over that fence.  In another picture, I saw Jaxx's favorite indoor spot for bird and cat watching.  Here's Jaxx, on the right, and Lady.

I also talked to Wendy's new owner.  Wendy's the Affenpinsher who now "owns" her home and her yard.  She's the greatest, and Mike couldn't stop telling me how great she is.

I hear Kipton is doing well in his new home.  Last week I was worried about him too, wondering why such a great dog hadn't been adopted yet.  And then their was Nutmeg, one of the Redbone Coonhound puppies from a year ago.  She came back after her family's circumstances changed and they could no longer keep her.  Then no sooner was she back with me than she found a new home.  I didn't need to worry....but I'm still waiting for pictures.

And today, with relief, I helped reunite a recently adopted  Pekingese with his new owners.  He's gotten away from the Sunday and been picked up by St. Louis County Animal Control.  He's now safely back home in the arms of his relieved family.

Yesterday I brought Carmella the yellow lab back to my place.  Her foster mom thought she'd be better off elsewhere.  She thought that after Carmella chewed her way out of an upstairs window onto the roof covering the porch.  A crowd gathered on the sidewalk below and someone called the humane society, where someone contacted Carmella's foster mom, who incidentally was a neighbor.  Carmella made it safely back inside.  But this is definitely a dog to worry about.  Right now she seems fine, unconcerned and unworried.  Here's Carmella. 

I've also brought in two new dogs from Jefferson County Animal Control.  One is Juno, a tall Border Collie mix.  The other is a small beagle we're calling Lulu.  Here they are.

More to worry about.  More to celebrate.

Ellen Ellick

President/Founder

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

[email protected]

So much happens every day

Lucy with her best  pal and companion.

The St. Louis Senior Dog  Project is a not-for-profit dog  rescue  organization   specializing in older   dogs but taking in and finding homes for dogs of   all   ages...even   puppies.    We'll have dogs for adoption from 11 to 3 Saturday,November 24 , and noon to 3 Sunday, November 25  in the Kirkwood Petco near I-44 and Lindbergh  To see which dogs will be there as well as other adoptable dogs, go  Here.

 

So much happens every day.  I answer phone calls and emails from shelters and individuals asking me to please take in some dogs.  I hear from people interested in one of another of our adoptable dogs.  I pay bills, accept donations, visit vet offices and animal shelters, solve problems, update our databae and file away contracts and other recorods. Sometimes I meet with potential adoptors and often send a dog or two off to its new h ome.  I'm sometmes crabby but often delighted.

One of the best things that happens every day is receiving news about some of our adopted dogs.  For example, Dave emailed about Lucy, the dog his son adopted about eight years ago (picture above). "Lucy was a challenge at first, still a puppy at heart and prone to chew things up.  I used to call her Lucifer because of her chewing habits."  But Lucy did mature with time and "has been a joy to my son and will be hard to replace when her timecomes.  My son is lucky in that Lucy can come to work with him anytime. She visits offices and cubicles, always on the prowl for a handout."

This week I also heard from Zoey (formerly Silvs)'s family on the occassion of the dog's second anniversary.

Amy reported that Zoey is "doing wonderful.  She brings our family much joy."  Here she is.

Coco (Chloe) is another dog approaching her second birthday. We learned she is friendly, loves everyone (humans and animals), is food motivated, and is such a joy to have in our family.  We can't imagine life without her."  And here she is in Halloween costume.

I also received another report on Wally, Brutus and Bennie -- the three old labs adopted out to the same family.  All is good.  Everyone's happy.  What could be better.

Another good news story was about a recent adoption of a senior beagle, Honey, to a senior citizen.  Honey just barely made it out of animal control.  I'd already said we didn't have room for another beagle when Tom stepped forward and made room.  Honey is happy in her new home and, if anything, her new person is happier still.

And I received a picture of Eric, a recent adoption in his new home.  Eric's a cute little brussels/yorkie mix.  His new name is Gus and he's settling in perfectly.  Already his leash skills are 150% better and he's been on several long walks.  "He follows us around the house like a little velcro," emailed Erin, who admitted that she almost passed on Eric because he seemed standoffish at the adoption event.  That changed quickly.  And here is is with his new dad and chihuahua friend.

Today I also placed Nutmeg the coonhound mix in her new home.  And now I'm leaving to deliver Indie and Sven to their new people.

A good day with many reasons to give thanks.

Ellen Ellick

President/Founder

St. Louis Senor Dog Project

 

 

 

News from adopted dogs

Reno (now Tex) as he was with Jenny on Halloween.

The St. Louis Senior Dog  Project is a not-for-profit dog  rescue  organization   specializing in older   dogs but taking in and finding homes for dogs of   all   ages...even   puppies.    We'll have dogs for adoption from 11 to 3 Saturday,November 17, and noon to 3 Sunday, November 18  in the Kirkwood Petco near I-44 and Lindbergh  To see which dogs will be there as well as other adoptable dogs, go  Here.

 

Last week I received the sweetest email from Jenny, who adopted Tex as a puppy from us in March of 2010.  She had he has grown to be "such a handsome, wonderful dog" to her and her daughters (ages 5 and 6).  During some rough times, Tex was "a source of comfort for all of us.

"He lets the girls hug him and tell them their worries and secrets.  He is their constant friend and confidant.  Tex, who we knew as Reno, "instinctively knows if one of us is feeling sad and will stay glued to our side until we cheer up.  He is an amazing dog and truly a valued member of our family," Jenny wrote. 

On Halloween Tex received a lot of attention at the Tick-Tock Croc from Peter Pam...although he didn't particularly enjoy wearing the hood.

Jenny concluded, "I cannot thank you enough for choosing us to be Tex's adoptive family.  I honestly don't know what we would do without him!"

That's exactly what we hope for all our dogs -- that they'll go from abandoned and homeless to a dog someone can't do without.  Way to go Tex.  And way to go Tex's family. Below is what Reno/Tex looked like with Jenny and family adopted him.

I also received word a couple days ago about Olive, formerly known as Lady Bug.  For several weeks, her adopters felt she wasn't going to work out in their home.  She was having housebreaking problems and wasn't getting along with the other dog.  Then finally, everything changed.  As evidence, I received this picture of the two dog pals with a favorite toy.

Lady Bug/Olive (the schnauzer at right) is a retired breeder.  She just needed a little more time to settle in.  Now all is well.

Ellen Ellick

President/Founder

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

[email protected]

How about a pair of chihuahuas?

Pebbles and Bam Bam are looking for a home.

The St. Louis Senior Dog  Project is a not-for-profit dog  rescue  organization   specializing in older   dogs but taking in and finding homes for dogs of   all   ages...even   puppies.    We'll have dogs for adoption from 11 to 3 Saturday,November 10, and noon to 3 Sunday, November 11  in the Kirkwood Petco near I-44 and Lindbergh  To see which dogs will be there as well as other adoptable dogs, go  Here. 

If we can find a home for three senior labs, placing two chihuahuas together should be easy.  Right?

Maybe.  We'll see.  Shortly after taking in Pebbles and Bam Bam from a hoarding situation, their foster mom decided they needed to stay together.  The reason was obvious.  Just look at the picture above to see are closely they fit together.  And when they're not sleeping, they stick together while playing or exploring. See the picture below.

Foster mom Pam says the two are "definitely bonded.  I have dog beds throughout the house and except for once or twice, they've always curled up in the same bed together."

When we first took them in, both were malnourished with terrible skin, but today their coats shine and their weight is normal thanks to good food and oatmeal baths.  Bam Bam had an extra problem.  Untreated dry eye had left him almost completely blind. He's on eye drops, so he's comfortable but his eyesight remains poor.  You'd never know it,though, when you watch him outside.  He gets around find, especially with Pebbles to lead the way.

Pam says the two are never sure what's happening when she pets them.  "As I stroke them along their backs. they  constantly flip their heads around to see what I am doing."  But they're starting to love all the attention, she adds.  They even give kisses sometimes.

While they were with the hoarder, they seldom left their indoor cages, living in their own filth.  The outdoors still amazes and sometimes frightens them.  As for housebreaking, they are "kind of housetrained.  They know how to use pee pads when inside," Pam says.

They're good little dogs who suffered because someone who thought she was helping animals took in many more dogs than she could possibly handle.  Most of the dogs from this home were severely underweight and many hadn't been outdoors in a year.  Authorities quickly condemned the house.

What seems even sadder to me is that people in the community readily turned their unwanted dogs over to this person, proud, I imagine, that they'd found a "no kill" place for their pets.  What they really turned their pets over to was "no life."  At some time in their lives, Pebbles and Bam Bam probably were someone's pets.  Then this.

And now, finally, hope. 

Ellen Ellick

President/Founder

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

[email protected]

A vote for old dogs

Wally, Benny and Brutus have found a home together.

The St. Louis Senior Dog  Project is a not-for-profit dog  rescue  organization   specializing in older   dogs but taking in and finding homes for dogs of   all   ages...even   puppies.    We'll have dogs for adoption from 11 to 3 Saturday,November 10, and noon to 3 Sunday, November 11  in the Kirkwood Petco near I-44 and Lindbergh  To see which dogs will be there as well as other adoptable dogs, go  Here.

 

Even though this is Adopt A Senior Dog Month, I didn't really expect someone would want to adopt three old labs  All are at least 7 years old, and they'll go to their new home Saturday.  Wally, Benny, Brutus -- one each of the basic lab colors of yellow, black and brown.

Wally came to us via one of our vets.  Animal Control had turned him in for euthanasia.  He was a lab nobody wanted, a goofy old boy with horribly infected ears.  The vet called us and we agreed to take in Wally.   Today Wally is quite the character, full of personality.  By that we mean that he's a bed hogger, a fence climber, a drooler and a boy who hates being left alone.  His ears are much better, but he's blind in one eye. We love him anyway and figure his new people will love him too.

Wally won't be alone in his new home.  He'll also have Benny, a black lab rescued from Jefferson County Animal Control.  Benny doesn't understand that a dog with a grey muzzle should learn the meaning of "calm."  Not our Benny.  He still loves to play.  Good thing.  Wally will join between naps, I'm sure.  Wally doesn't actually run.  I call it more of a gallup.

Then there's Brutus.  We learned about Brutus from an animal shelter director in Oklahoma.  Brutus had been there for quite awhile without finding a home.  He was losing weight and was out of time.  I doubted we could take him but forwarded his picture to our foster parents.  One was a former Oklahoman, who volunteered to foster Brutus.  "You've made me the happiest woman in the world, " email back the shelter director when I passed on the news that Brutus was welcome here.

Now all three of these old dogs will go on to a new home with people who love labs and especially love old ones.  They've been spending the week getting ready for Saturday, when they'll pick up Wally, Benny and Brutus at our adoption event at the Kirkwood Petco store.

Ordinarily I'd worry about sending three dogs to one home, but we liked what we saw and think these three old boys have found a great home.

OF course, we're not out of old dogs...or young ones either.  So come join us 11 to 3 Saturday or noon to 3 Sunday at the Kirkwood Petco near I-44 and Lindbergh.

Last blog I wrote about several dogs that should have found homes long ago.  One of them, Jaxx, did find a home last weekend.  We had several adoptions Saturday including Clementine the shih tzu, Honey Boo Boo the yorkie,  Paulie the poodle, Harley the bichon mix, Franklin the black lab mix, and Suza the flat-coated retriever mix.

Ellen Ellick

President/Founder

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

[email protected]