Amanda Herring and Greg Selz met when they were in middle school, but neither could have anticipated that they would be a happily married family years later.

“We were friends, never dated,” Amanda told The Dodo. “I would have said you were crazy if you told me I’d be married living with Greg Selz 14 years later, and we’d have an old dog.”

They went their separate ways after school, but their paths crossed in 2010, and they spent the next two years in a long-distance relationship.  Finally last year they found a place close to where they’d grown up in Washington DC.

“Our first priority was to find an apartment where we could have a dog,” Amanda said.

She found an older chow on the website for the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, but when they went to visit, she had already been adopted.  However, her older sister Brendinie was still there and in need of a home.  She was in need of a bath, and wasn’t interested in visitors.  It would likely take a long time before anyone decided to adopt her.

“She would need a lot of time to get adjusted, wouldn’t do well with kids, and was already probably nine years old.  Our hearts melted.”

Amanda and Greg adopted her and changed her name to Bubbe, which means grandmother in Yiddish.  They knew that the adjustment period would be a challenge, and for the first few days Bubbe wouldn’t eat and she snarled at them when they entered a room.  But the barrier broke down a bit when she took some baby food off of a spoon.

Their relationship grew as they worked on teaching her basic commands:  “She wanted to make us happy, and she was trying so hard,” Amanda explained.

Now that Bubbe understands she’s home, she’s a lot more comfortable.  She wags her tail when she sees mom and dad, and though she still is aloof towards strangers, she loves snuggling and has bonded with Greg’s mom’s dog.

When the couple got engaged and started working on wedding arrangements, they knew they wanted Bubbe to partake in their special day.  But they understood her wariness of new people, and didn’t want to overwhelm her.

“She was right next to me all morning while I did my makeup, got dressed and got my hair done,” Amanda said.  “We took her out for a walk during dinner.”

She was also in a few photos, which are certainly mantle-worthy.  Having Bubbe isn’t effortless, because she isn’t in the greatest of health and needs vet visits and numerous walks per day, so the couple cannot come and go as they’d like, but they aren’t bothered.

“It sounds like a chore, but it’s actually what makes our lives more meaningful,” Amanda said.  “Before Bubbe, it was just the two of us,” she says. “She’s made the two of us into a family.”

The post Couple Adopts a Cantakerous Senior Dog and Now She’s Their Princess appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Wallace was found as a stray by a wonderful Chicago police officer named Tammy. Tammy is also the police officer that found Halo (more about Halo another time). She is pretty amazing and went above and beyond to save both dogs.

Wallace was found as a stray by a wonderful Chicago police officer named Tammy. Tammy is also the police officer that found Halo (more about Halo another time). She is pretty amazing and went above and beyond to save both dogs.

Wallace’s medical team estimates he is 12-13 years old. He has large growths on several locations over his body. This includes a perianal tumor which is likely the result of high testosterone levels from not being neutered. He has muscle atrophy consistent with aging. He is thin. His eye was infected from a large upper eyelid growth that is scratching his eye, which is covered in thick, goopy discharge. He had open wounds on one of his rear legs with draining tracts. His spleen was enlarged via palpation during his physical exam. His ears are filthy and inflamed. He has diarrhea.

In order to be sure we knew exactly what we were dealing with, we authorized a myriad of tests:

-Fine needle aspirate of the 4 major growths: one under his neck, one on the back of his leg, one on the side of his leg and one on his side. 
-Culture of the draining fluid from the open wounds on his other rear leg
-X-rays of his chest and abdomen
-Full blood panel
-Eye staining
-Ear cytology
-Fecal test
-Urinalysis

We have received the results from many of the tests:
-His vet was concerned he might have blastomycosis and wanted to send off a blood test to help aid his diagnosis. Blastomycosis is a systemic fungal infection. The most common sites of clinically apparent infection in dogs include the lungs, lymph nodes, eyes, skin, and bone. Fortunately the test for blastomycosis was negative.
-Bloodwork was mostly normal, with an increase in white blood cells consistent with infection.
-Heartworm test: positive
-X-rays showed his spleen was enlarged, but there were no obvious masses anywhere else in his body. His heart shows no sign of physiological changes from heartworm disease.
-Fine needle aspirates showed several of the growths were inflamed lymph nodes. He has no signs of lymphoma or other cancer, which leads us to believe the inflammation of his spleen and lymph nodes are due to the overall infection his system is fighting.
-Antibiotics for open wounds started. After 3 days there was no improvement so a stronger antibiotic was started.
-Eye stain was negative for corneal ulcers so drops were started with plans to remove the growth.
-Urinalysis was clear minus some white blood cells. He is drinking and urinating a significant amount.
-Ear cytology showed a significant yeast infection in his ears and they were cleaned and treated.
-His fecal was negative so he was started on probiotics to help restore the natural flora in his gut.

Friday Wallace underwent surgery to be neutered and have the eye growth removed. He recovered easily. Now that Wallace is neutered, the perianal tumor should diminish in size. He has been on strong antibiotics now for 4 days and there is significant improvement in the wounds on his legs, his increased drinking/urinating, and his eye is no longer infected. His ears are clean and less inflamed. Overall, Wallace is doing very well. He will remain hospitalized until we can recheck his bloodwork later this week to ensure his infections have cleared up. We will also come up with a game plan to treat his heartworm disease once the other issues have been resolved.

On October 4^th they shared an update with supporters:

Amazing news… the Chicago police officer who found Wallace on the side of the road has adopted him!

When 12-13 year old Wallace came into TAF’s care he was an absolute mess and needed to be hospitalized for 2 weeks. In that time he underwent a multitude of tests, treatments and even surgery to keep him comfortable for the twilight time that Wallace has left with his mom. 

When Tammy arrived to pick up her buddy Wallace, he walked over and buried his face in her arms. It was obvious that he remembered the kindness she showed him when he was not feeling well and all alone. He wouldn’t leave her side, and as they walked out the door, we swore there was a spring in his step!

Officer Tammy… thank you so much for all that you do to help the homeless dogs in the city of Chicago!

The post Tumor-Ridden Senior Dog Is Adopted by the Heroic Police Officer Who Saved Him appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

This old soul was found in a kill shelter with a large tumor on his left hind leg. He had zero chances of getting out alive, but thanks to rescuers he got a second chance in life, his tumor was removed and he learned the true meaning of love.

Howl of a Dog says Bandit is happy. “He can run again now that he doesn’t have to carry that big tumor [and] what he loves most is to snuggle and sleep after he’s had a well-deserved massage.”

The senior dog who is living life to the fullest is described as “serene and affectionate.”

The post Senior Dog Goes from Caged and Forgotten to Loved and Pampered appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

“Levi is our hero,” Darcy Cherry explained to the Janesville Gazette.

Levi, a smiley sweetheart, is small for a pit bull. But he has a big heart, and will defend his family to the death.

On January 19th, Darcy and her longtime boyfriend, Bob Stenzel, had forgotten to lock the back door of their Wisconsin home. Around 6:15 PM, a masked man dressed in black barged in and ordered the couple to the floor.

“I prayed. I prayed to God for us all to be well,” Darcy said.

“Where’s the safe? Where’s the money?” the gunman repeatedly demanded.

But they told him there was no money or safe. Darcy told the Gazette that they’re simple working people: she’s a property manager for a landlord, and Bob is a handyman. She said the fact that the man remained so calm was chilling.

“Where’s the weed?” he then asked.

Darcy told him they didn’t have any of that, either. At that moment, Levi, who had been in the dining room with them, stood up and began growling at the burglar. Though he’s usually friendly with strangers, he doesn’t like violence and reacts defensively at the sight of toy guns.

“He said, ‘Call of your dog. I’ll shoot. I’ll shoot,” Darcy noted.

She could hear in his voice that Levi was distressing him. She and Bob called Levi to them, but he refused to listen. The man fired at him and fled.

The bullet grazed the top of his head and became lodged in the thick skin of his neck. Bob called 911, and police and Emergency Veterinary Service arrived quickly.

“They were so wonderful to Levi,” Darcy recalled.

She says they’ve had him since he was a puppy. Friends found him abandoned in an apartment building. Bob called and said, “Hey, I’m bringing home a pit bull!”

“No, you’re not,” Darcy told him, but the little guy quickly stole her heart. It seems that everyone who meets him falls in love, and friends and family members often ask to take care of him.

A drain tube has been inserted in Levi’s skin to prevent an infection from developing.

But Levi’s life has been full of nerve-wracking events. About five years ago, he was dognapped in the middle of the day. Thankfully a neighbor saw him being enticed into a van, and took down the license plate number. Police found it and saved him that same day.

Then in June of 2014, the family was walking along the trails above the Devil’s Staircase in Riverside Park when Levi toppled over the side of a cliff. Darcy firmly believes that Levi falling prevented her sons from inadvertently taking the same spill, so he has saved her family once before.

That horrific incident shattered the bones in his right front leg, causing amputation to be necessary. But he’s a true survivor, and clearly loves his family.

Darcy is still incredibly shaken by the ordeal, and worries about the possibility of seeing him when she is outside of her home.

“It’s exhausting, having to live a normal life again… This guy knows who I am.”

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According to WKOW, police officers were called to the wildlife area after a group of people found a camping bag moving and tossing on the ground. Upon opening the bag, the concerned citizens found a malnourished elderly black lab wrapped in a blanket and with had multiple head wounds.

The dog was rushed to a veterinarian and a total of 19 stitches were needed to close the deep lesions on her head. Veterinarians said even though Misty had sustained unimaginable abuse, she would recover. Today, she is alive and thriving.

When news broke about the injured pet, 56-year-old Terri Lynn Benson came forward and identified herself as the dog’s owner.

Benson told police the night before Misty was found injure in the woods she got out and came back home “acting goofy.” She was throwing up, having uncontrollable bowel movements and seizures. Not knowing what to do the woman took the dog for a ride.

“I thought she was dead,” Benson told police. “I didn’t have any money to do anything, my other half did call [Dr. Michael] Cooper about putting her down.”

The pet owner admitted disposing of the dog’s body in the woods after she believed Misty died in the car. However, authorities questioned Benson about the head injuries and she confessed using a hammer to put an end to her suffering pet.

Fifty dollars would have been the cost to humanly euthanize Misty, but instead her owner placed a blanket over her head and hit her with a hammer multiple times.

Benson has been charged with mistreatment of animals, disorderly conduct use of dangerous weapon and animal abandonment. She is scheduled to appear in court next month to face her punishment.

The dog is under the care of Columbia County Humane Society and has made a remarkable recovery. People across the nation have shown their support by donating towards her care and sending gifts. The shelter has also received more than 50 requests to adopt the elderly dog. However, there are other health issues that need to be cleared before she could move into a forever home.

The post Dog Recovers After Owner Hits Her with Hammer and Abandons Her appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Remember Harley, the senior Dachshund lovingly left at a shelter in a basket with a note from his elderly owners who could no longer afford to care for him?  Rescue group Leave No Paws Behind took him in and found his family.  The dog, whose real name is Otto, will have expenses for the rest of his life paid for by the rescue, and will be reunited with his family at the end of this month.

Less than a week ago, the 13-year-old Dachshund was left wrapped in a blanket in a basket outside Baldwin Park Animal Shelter in California.  Attached to his basket was a heartbreaking letter:

“Our dog is 13½ years old.  He is sick starting yesterday with bloody stools, vomiting.  Had a skin disease for a few years.  We are both seniors, sick with no money.  We cannot pay for vet bills, or to put him to sleep.  He has never been away from us in all those years.  He cannot function without us.  Please put him to sleep.”

Instead of honoring the request to have him put to sleep, the shelter contacted Leave No Paws Behind, a non-profit, all-breed, all-foster rescue group that specializes in senior and terminally ill animals.  They took the dog in and called him Harley.  He was taken to a veterinarian, who determined that not only could he be treated, but that he likely has a couple more years of life left in him.

Because Harley seemed so loved and well-cared for, LNPB wanted to find his owners to see if something could be arranged.  Group founder and CEO Toby Wisneski reached out to the public, and his owners came forward after seeing their story on the news.

The couple, who wishes to remain anonymous, explained that they are both ill and cannot afford their own treatments or tires for their vehicle to get them help.  When their dog, whose full name is Otto Wolfgang Maximus, got sick, they were told by a vet that costly tests needed to be run.  They could not even afford to have him euthanized.  They were “hysterical,” and didn’t know what else to do except leave him at a shelter.

“My wife was in tears, as she left him, saying, ‘I am sorry, I am sorry,’” the man explained in a phone interview.  “We are retired, I am handicapped, and my wife is not well.  We live week to week, and can’t even afford our medical bills. We can’t even go to the dentist any more… we have no money.”

The rescue wanted to see Otto back where he belonged, and told the couple that they would return him, and pay for his food and healthcare for the rest of his life provided they could stop by for weekly visits.

“Ninety eight percent of the rescues we take in belong with us,” Toby said.  “There are 1-2 percent of owners who love their animals very much and just believe they have no other option but to surrender them.”

The couple lives outside of California and was on a ministry trip when they dropped Otto off.  They plan to pick him up at the end of the month or when they have enough money to purchase desperately needed tires for their vehicle.  LNPB is working to see that this problem is solved, too.

“We thought he was dead, but he lives,” the husband said. “He’s being well taken care of and, boy, we’re just so extremely grateful.”

LNPB is seeing more and more pets left in their care as owners’ failing health and finances leave them unable to care for their beloved pets.  Toby wants people to know that if they are good, loving owners, the rescue wants to help them so they are not forced to surrender their family members.  If you would like to donate to Leave No Paws Behind, please click here.

Los Angeles Local News | FOX 11 LA KTTV

Update:

“We are thrilled to announce that Otto’s mommy and daddy will very soon be receiving a brand new set of tires! I want to thank all of the amazing human angels that offered to help them, you truly, on a day to day basis, continue to restore my faith in the goodness and kindness of human kind! We were contacted by someone in the “tire industry” who offered to help! We will of course announce Otto’s big reunion when we have the absolute pleasure of placing him back in their loving arms! Otto will have to remain in the hospital for another 10-12 days under treatment before he will be released into their foster care! Thank you again for all you do for the animals! tw, LNPB”

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Pursey was a World War II veteran who moved into an assisted living facility when his health deteriorated. His only family was his dog Bob and when the man had to leave his home, he knew he wasn’t leaving his dog behind.

Luckily, a social worker guaranteed both seniors a place in Burnham Lodge and since their move there, Bob became the only four-legged resident and everyone’s best friend.

In 2010, Pursey passed away at the age of 94, but before dying he ensured Bob would have a place at the Lodge to live the rest of his days. The pet owner left his dog a trust worth just under $1,000, but due to the dog’s declining health, that trust quickly ran out. Yet, since Bob was a loved member of his community, the staff at the lodge did raffles, competitions and collected donations, helping Bob’s trust grow to over $7,000 in the course of five years.

This December, just a few weeks short of Bob’s 16th birthday, the dog had to be put to sleep.

“It is with much sadness that we announce the death of Bob,” Lindsay Hammond, a nursing home worker told The Mirror. “He was put to sleep on Monday, Dec. 28. He was a much-loved member of our family at Burnham Lodge and it was a very sad day for the staff and residents.”

Bob had a decade where he was solely adored by his owner, but in the five years he lived at the nursing home he was not only loved by his owner but also every resident. He brought smiles to everyone and made every day a brighter one. He will be forever missed and remembered, and it is needless to say the Burnham Lodge will not be the same without Bob.

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The sad truth for many dogs is that when they get older, they are often abandoned at shelters or left with no place to go when their owners die or go to nursing homes.  But there are many kind-hearted people in the world, like the people at House with a Heart, a retirement home for dogs.

“We have dogs come to live with us until the end of their life, and we make sure that the end of their life is full of love and caring, lots of attention, and we make sure they get all the medical care they need,” said Sher Polvinale, director of House with a Heart Senior Pet Sanctuary.

In 2006, she and her (late) husband Joe began a sanctuary for senior pets in the Gaithersburg, Maryland home.  Anywhere from 20 to 40 dogs who otherwise might be euthanized find themselves in a loving home with lots of others they form new bonds with.

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Olive is a senior dog who is in desperate need of a home.  She is not unlike the thousands of other dogs who live boring, lonely lives behind bars, but this girl has been a shelter dog for 11 long years.  Staff at the Yonkers Animal Shelter are hoping that someone will see her beautiful frosted face and give her a home.

This sweetie has been in and out of Yonkers Animal Shelter for nearly her entire life.  She was brought to the shelter as a puppy, and when she was four, a volunteer decided to adopt her.  Right before Olive was due to go to her new home, the volunteer unexpectedly died.  Another volunteer took pity on her and paid for her to be in a boarding facility until she was adopted.  A family did adopt her, but they weren’t well matched, so Olive was sent back to YAS.

She is loved by everyone who meets her, so it is surprising that she has been at the shelter for so long.

Kelcy Kimmerer of Second Chance Rescue NYC told The Dodo “I know her because my fiancé and I went to visit another dog at Yonkers Animal Shelter and I saw Olive and she just did something to me.  I felt an instant heart connection to her and I felt this deep need to help her — to be her voice.”

Olive receives many visitors, but none who will take her home.  She is very low-key and enjoys cuddling.  She has been dealing with the turbulence of shelter life for many years, and a quiet home with adults or families with teens would best suit her.

“There is quite a community being built up to help this dog get out of the shelter, but we need to keep that energy and momentum going until she is home with her humans and being loved like she so deserves,” Kimmerer said. “She has been waiting 11 years — it’s time.”

If you live in the New York City area and could see Olive being your new best pal, please contact the Yonkers Animal Shelter at crit524@gmail.com.

The post Loving Shelter Dog Still Waiting for a Home After 11 Years appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

This 8-year-old German Shepherd named Zero got his second chance at having a wonderful and loving family. His first owners neglected him for years. He was rescued from a home along with 40 other animals who were all abused and neglected. Now he has a new family who loves him, and a purpose in life. He has become the perfect companion and best friend of a 10-year-old boy who was diagnosed with cancer. Zero motivates the boy and cheers him up when he feels down. Watch the heartwarming video below!

The post This Senior Dog Was Near Death Until He Was Adopted By A 10 Year Old With Cancer appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.