People often go to their local animal shelter to adopt unwanted puppies when they are looking for dogs. Most of the time, if you do you get benefits such as cheaper spay and neutering for your animal. You can take pride in knowing you saved the little pup from a terrible fate of euthanization, and you've help keep strays off the streets. But remember that adult dogs get put in shelters sometimes too. Here is where I want to tell you about the three year old window. When people look for a dog, they either want a puppy so they can raise it from youth, or a young adult, for the people who can't take care of a puppy just yet. The max people are willing to adopt on average is two-three years old, because after that, no one is willing to get attached to a dog because he/she might not have much time left.
This is why I came here today to show you my newest dog, Buddha.
[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs314.ash2/59478_471095621613_650631613_6707963_3279734_n.jpg[/img]
Buddha is a nine year old neutered male mixed breed. His back hips are malaligned from being hit by a car, and he is slightly blind. I'm pretty sure he suffers from some arthritis as well. From what I understand from the vet, Buddha was hit by a car and whoever owned him did not take him to the vet to have his hip bones reset, and now when he walks, he uses both back legs at once. He was found as a stray in the backwoods--more than likely he hiked a long way after his owners dropped him off in the woods. The animal rescue people picked him up, and later, I would meet him. He had two days left to live.
I was looking for someone to share this new house with, since I'm rather lonely I figured now was as good a time as any to have a dog. I knew I wanted an older dog since a puppy would be too destructive right now, but I didn't really figure I'd come home with a dog like Buddha. Amidst all the small, barking, half-crazed dogs I found at the shelter, there was one dog in the back of the row that caught my attention. Buddha just sat there, at the side of the cage, never barked, never even got up. He looked up at me and didn't even lift an ear. I have never in my life seen a dog that was as depressed as he was, and even still is. I sat there next to him, talked to him a little, and he just looked at me. No tailwag, no perked ears; he was completely still.
The lady came over to me and I asked her about him, she told me his story and told me he's never once messed his crate, it appeared as though he was house trained. She told me he was good on a leash had he was a very sweet dog, they never had any problems out of him. They hadn't given him long to live because of his deformity, and since he wasn't eating, he might not have lasted long in the shelter anyway. I spent a while longer on the floor of the shelter with him, just talking to him. Eventually, he got up on his feet and wobbled over to the end of cell, and laid down next to me. Call me a pussy if you must, but at this point I cried. I took him for a walk in the yard with the girl, and he really enjoyed that. She was right, he was a very sweet dog, very well mannered. One adoption fee and a car-ride later and Buddha was at his new home.
It's been hard working with Buddha these past few days, mostly because of his unresponsiveness. The people at the shelter named him that because he was such a chilled dog, but I could tell it wasn't just him being chilled out, this dog was down-right depressed. I've gotten him to eat, but it was very hard to get him to wag his tail. I talked with him, pet him, brushed him a little, he'll flinch if I touch him unexpectedly (which makes me think he's been beaten), but he'd just sit there, looking at me. Now, three days later, things are starting to look up. He's warming up to me and perks his ears when I talk to him, he might even give me a little tail-wag. He loves going for walks around the neighborhood, even though we don't go far. Best of all, he's eating!
Working with Buddha has been a challenge in it's own ways, but there are many perks. He behaves perfectly alone, no accidents or messes, and he knows the meaning of the word "no." Many people ask "what's wrong with the dog" when they see an old dog in the shelter. The plain truth is most of them don't have anything wrong with them. Buddha was a special case, even though he's lived with those bad hips a long time, but most older dogs get on the adoption list for human reasons. People move to places that don't allow dogs, divorce, death or long-term injury of the owner. Most of the time, these dogs don't survive. Older dogs are perfect for some people, they are calm and slip into a routine very easily. They are patient and good tempered too, otherwise they wouldn't have reached old age!
In the end, yes, I know adopting old dogs isn't for everyone. Will it be hard for me when Buddha's time comes? Yes, yes it will. I've already become extremely attached to him, and I understand that I like will have to take the responsibility of putting him down within the next two years. But if I there's one thing I want to leave you guys with, it's that this experience has a very unique reward for the people who can do it. I have no idea what's happened to Buddha and I know he's hurt because he's lost his home. Yet, in his last years, I'm going to give him the damn best home I possibly can. He already appreciates it, and I think with time, we are going to grow to be best pals.
I have 2 large Northern Inuits and they're extremely tempermental but they're only in the first 3 years of their lives, a male and a bitch and even at this age I can't even bare to think about them dying or anything like that.
If I could, I would try and look after an older dog.. I hate to think what happens to some dogs that get saved from a bad home, it even makes me choked up to think about.
You're a great person for doing this man :h:
:love:
Fucking dogs, poop everywhere.
You sir, are a very kind hearted person.
Now THIS is an example of a quality thread.
Heart-warming story with good grammar. OP, you deserve a cookie and a few heart-ratings.
Yeah I took a stray in when she was under our porch, so far she is really nice and good. However let her out and she stays out for a while while barking. Even though I still love her, she is a mix though I really do not know what and she is a medium sized dog.
There are so many pros and cons to getting either a puppy or an older dog. The problem I have with getting a rescue dog is, while I'll feel good about "saving it", I'll know there will be so many others suffering that I can't help :frown:
[QUOTE=Impracticable;25003933]Fucking dogs, poop everywhere.[/QUOTE]
Get the fuck out of here.
OP, I admire you. You are a very good person. That dog might not have a lot of time left, and you know that. You also know that you will be very sad when he passes away. And yet you kept him, because you want to make his last years of his existence the best god damn years of his life. I can only hope there were more people like you.
Rated you [img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/rating/heart.png[/img].
i love dogs, i would get one but im gonna wait til i get stuff sorted out and get a little older, but i never come up with any names :(
D'awww, how nice of you :3: Let him enjoy the time he has left
Thank you OP, I'm glad someone does these sort of things. The next dog we adopt will be older.
My dream was to adopt two older cats :3
Then I met my boyfriend, who is very allergic :(
You are a good person for giving this dog a nice chance at a good home :). My boyfriend'sgrandparents adopted a dog who has a sad past. Also recetly when with my dad I met a dog with no teeth, we asked the owner why and she said that it's because someone pulled all his teeth out :( but after he was rescued she adopted him and she feeds him special food which is really sweet.
OP, where do you live, there's someone who copypasted this on another forum, and I doubt that they are you.
edit: that was a bad question, Do you live in a rednecky area?
[QUOTE=Mystery Penguin;25009774]OP, where do you live, there's someone who copypasted this on another forum, and I doubt that they are you.
edit: that was a bad question, Do you live in a rednecky area?[/QUOTE]LoL if you are referring to FAF, yes, that is me. I figured people from there could appreciate this as well.
some pricks shot my grandma's dog with a BB gun so she bought a blowgun and shot one of them in the neck with it
that wasn't really relevant now that i think about it, but my grandma rescued a parrot who had her wings broken by some pricks
OP, you are an amazing person.
[QUOTE=Impracticable;25003933]Fucking dogs, poop everywhere.[/QUOTE]
With a post like this, I bet you just got past the phase of pooping yourself anyway.
[editline]12:23AM[/editline]
Also, OP you are awesome. I hate to think what happens to poor dogs like that who don't get adopted.
[QUOTE=Impracticable;25003933]Fucking cats, shit and piss everywhere.[/QUOTE]
Fixed that for ya.
[QUOTE=TailsPrower;25009864]LoL if you are referring to FAF, yes, that is me. I figured people from there could appreciate this as well.[/QUOTE]
You have incredible grammar skills, especially for a hill-billy man.
Our dog was around 4-5 when we got him, house trained and everything. We assumed his previous owner was an old man, because he gets absolutely ecstatic whenever an old person is around.
Plus he gets extremely energetic when someone starts to yawn and stretch, not sure why.
I have a dog my dad found when he was camping, he was all scratched and beat up like he was in a fight.
Two weeks after he brought the dog to the nearby shelter, nobody had claimed him so they said we could take him home with us.
He was timid at first but got really friendly after a while.
Dogs are awesome
[QUOTE=Mystery Penguin;25010063]You have incredible grammar skills, especially for a hill-billy man.[/QUOTE]Well thank you! I think faster than I type sometimes though.
[editline]12:46AM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Shankinator;25010146]I have a dog my dad found when he was camping, he was all scratched and beat up like he was in a fight.
Two weeks after he brought the dog to the nearby shelter, nobody had claimed him so they said we could take him home with us.
He was timid at first but got really friendly after a while.
Dogs are awesome[/QUOTE]A long time ago I found a dead pit-bull in a garbage bag, dumped near a hunting preserve in the woods. It was obvious the dog died from another dog. Now that was a horrible discovery. I really, really respect the people that rehabilitate fighting dogs, some of those dogs are so traumatized they seem beyond help.
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