Bear: 10YR old lab dumped *update post 34*

[dukedogsmom]

I really am disgusted with the human race. I want to take all the senior throwaways and give them the loving homes they deserve.

Bear (http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11141684)
More About Bear (URGENT)
My name is Bear and I have a sad story... I was a faithful loyal companion to a boy who grew up and is going off to college. Parents won't keep me so I was surrendered to the shelter after 10 loyal years. I get along with other dogs.. I love to fetch balls and I am a water dog too! I am very loveable and I have the typical happy go lucky Lab personality that everyone looks for. Please don't let me die here!!! They will not hold me long. Call and ask about ID #1970!!! HURRY!
ECAC serves Elbert County Georgia. We are a kill shelter, an unfortunate result of pet overpopulation. Please help put a stop to the needless deaths of thousands of companion animals each year, spay and neuter your pets! Dogs and puppies are available for a small adoption donation. At this time the facility does not offer vetting of impounded animals, but we do have a discount mobile spay/neuter clinic that comes onsite every two weeks. We can assist you in scheduling an appointment to get your new companion spayed or neutered at a much reduced rate. Adopter must provide proof of sterilization.

[caseysmom]

That disgusts me, some things you can't learn in college can you? Does Dasher need a friend?

[Aspen and Misty]

You have to stop posting Georgia pets in need. I'm serious. One more and I'm going to have to start a petition to have you booted from Pet Talk ;)

Seriously though. I recently rescued a 10 year old Lab named Bo. His story was much like other senior dogs. He gave him heart and soul to his family and then one day he was dumped without so much as a word as to why. Because of him these senior guys hold a special place in my heart. I will be fighting all night with myself about what to do about Bear. I hope he gets adopted. If he doesn't maybe Konnor can move over and make room on the bed for one more.

Ashley

[dukedogsmom]

Does Dasher need a friend?

If only I could, he would be here with me by the end of the week. One day, the time will be right and I'll be able to do more and help more, too. Until then, I'm going to do what I can. I'd love to somehow get a senior big dog rescue here in central Florida. I feel so helpless when I see their pics. I curse the people for dumping them and making me feel that way.

[chocolatepuppy]

How? How can someone do that to their dog? As long as I live, I will never understand. :(

[Louie and me]

I just hate this. I wouldn't introduce a new dog into our household while Louie is so frail but my plan when the inevitable happens is to seek out an older dog, dumped at the shelter because noone would take responsibility for them if their owners became disabled or unable to care for them any more. It's just so unfair.

[krazyaboutkatz]

This is so sad.:( I'll never ever understand how people can do this to an animal that's been a part of their family for many years. It just makes me so mad.:mad:

[dukedogsmom]

There are several people working to help him. I'll know more when I either get an email returned or talk to the place where he is on Monday. I'm not going to let him die in there.

[Aspen and Misty]

There are several people working to help him. I'll know more when I either get an email returned or talk to the place where he is on Monday. I'm not going to let him die in there.

Your Amazing!! Let me know if you need any help or if there is anything I can do since I live only about 2 hours from this shelter.

Lizzy is at the same shelter and she breaks my heart :( http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11141664

Ashley

[dukedogsmom]

Bless her heart. She looks so sad and scared. I hope there's a special place in hell for the people that turned her in twice. That is just horrible.

Will do. Thanks for the offer :)

[Aspen and Misty]

Any update??

Ashley

[shepgirl]

Exact same repeat that we had here 2 yrs ago. 1o yr old lab, people moving and advertised the dog, no one responded, they moved and left the dog alone in the yard. Shelter took it in, no happy ending. This was a sound healthy lab, I have 3 dogs here and am in no position to have taken him in but was hoping someone would.

[dukedogsmom]

Ashley has found a home for Lizzy, a very sad case at the same place where Bear is located. She's also going to pull Bear! She's on the way now. I've told her I will donate some money because she'll be taking care of him for the time being, I believe. Thanks so much, Ashley! I wish I could take him so much but at least we're getting him out of there. Please be sure and give him some big hugs from me.

[Ginger's Mom]

OMGoodness, I have tears in my eyes. Ashley, you are such an angel. Please post and let me/us know if there is any way we can help you.

[MoonandBean]

Hooray for Ashley!!!!!!!!! Let us know if we can help out!!!!!!!

[kuhio98]

Count me in for donation.

Might also check out fundable.org to set up accounts for these kinds of things. I think they charge a fee, but I've never checked into it any any detail.

[dukedogsmom]

Count me in for donation.

Might also check out fundable.org to set up accounts for these kinds of things. I think they charge a fee, but I've never checked into it any any detail.
Great idea! I've got the account set up and started it with $20. I'll be able to give some more in about a week or so. I just made the goal $300 but if it's reached, people can still give. Thanks so much, Ashley! It's good to know that all those dogs will be safe.
https://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2008-06-25.5840785350/groupaction_view?portal_status_message=Your%20chan ges%20have%20been%20saved.
I'll call you tomorrow afternoon when I wake up. I'm off then.

Ashley left me a voice mail earlier today. She had to take Lizzy by herself. She said she'd never seen a dog so fearful. The living conditions at that place are horrible, from what she's told me. She did pay Bear's fee so he's safe and she'll be picking up him, and possibly one Lab puppy, too. I'm so thankful that she could do what I was wanting to do so badly.

[Aspen and Misty]

Bear's fee has been paid so he is techincally speaking "sprung". Lizzy was a sad, sad case. She was so scared I had to drag her kicking and screaming out of her kennel. Once in the open she freaked out and it took another 20 minutes for her to calm down enough to where we could pet her on her back. She had never been on a leash before and I really don't think anyone had touched her in a long time. The shelter workers said that no one went in the cages. Ever. So she never got any love at the shelter. If it gives you an idea of how bad this place is, they spray the cage with Bleach while the dog is still in the cage. I saw it with my own eyes and I have never seen anything so terrible in my life. The dogs were cowaring in the corner just trying to escape the place the people call "safety".

My co-workers Emily (who is fostering Lizzy), Beth (she rides along and donates money for vet bills) and I are going to not stop till we make a huge improvment on this shelter. We started by pulling Lizzy. Tomorrow we are going back for Bear who is extremly skinny but as happy as can be and an extremly skinny lab puppy that looks like no one has fed him in a long time. I have found a foster home for the female pitt they have and she will also be leaving tomorrow with us. After we get the dogs that we really don't feel have a shot out we are going to try to change the way they do things. We are going to help them set up a safe way to clean the cages and a volunteer program so that maybe the dogs could feel loved while waiting for a new home. It's going to be tough, but it HAS to be done. Lizzy and Bear weren't brought into my life just be saved. They were brought into my life so that by witnessing the horrors of there everyday life in this rural GA shelter I can help save the dogs who will enter the shelter after them and make there lives a bit easier while they wait for there new homes.

Wish us luck. We already have 15 to 20 people who have said they would pack up and go scrub the shelter top to bottom one Saturday. The worst part is that I live 2 hours away from the shelter so my personal involvment in the change will end up being limited by distance.

I will update when the next 3 kids are in safety and any progress we make after that. I have a few more possible foster homes lined up for dogs who need to get out now (like 2 stir crazy huskies).

Ashley

[Aspen and Misty]

I forgot to say Thank you all for any donations! The main reason why I have struggled with if I should get them or not is because I have very limited funds right now. My rent is due next week, I'm heading out of town on Friday and I just rescued a dog named Chubbs who cost me a good chunk of change at the vet. I struggled with what to do for a few days and then I finally decided if it was meant to happen it will fall into place and it has. Everything is working out. I've borrowed a bigger vehicle allowing me to get more dogs at one time, a friend has offered to help cover some of the vet cost and Val greciously offered to pay for Bear's adoption fee and an extra $10 to help cover some of his medical cost. I can't begin to thank you all enough for everything you are doing. I truly apreciate it and the dogs do. I'm not sure I will be able to sleep tonight knowing that my new "kids" aren't safe right this moment but I know that by tomorrow around 9 I will have them all in my car loaded up and ready to start there new lives. You guys are truly amazing and thank you Val for bringing these dogs to my attention, without you Bear would still be at the shelter and we would never make a diffrence for the dogs of this county.

Ashley

[krazyaboutkatz]

Ashley, I'm so glad to hear that you're able to help Bear, Lizzy, and a few other dogs.:) I also hope that you and your helpers will be able to make a difference in how the dogs are being treated at this shelter and to educate the people about how things should be done. You're an amazing woman.:)

Thanks Val for starting a donation fund.:) Things are kind of tight for me money wise right now but I'll see what I can do to donate.:) I was able to pledge $20. I hope that this will help.

[Aspen and Misty]

Ashley, I'm so glad to hear that you're able to help Bear, Lizzy, and a few other dogs.:) I also hope that you and your helpers will be able to make a difference in how the dogs are being treated at this shelter and to educate the people about how things should be done. You're an amazing woman.:)

Thanks Val for starting a donation fund.:) Things are kind of tight for me money wise right now but I'll see what I can do to donate.:) I was able to pledge $20. I hope that this will help.


Thank you so much. I'm glad that Bear and Lizzy were found and broke my heart to the point where I had to get them because now we can help make a diffrence for all the dogs who will enter that shelter. The sad thing is, is that if they would just take 1 more minute and close the dogs inside or outside they could clean there pens without the dogs being in there. But they don't and the poor dogs just have to sit there.

The adoption fee for 1 dog is $20 so your $20 is helping us to spring 1 pet! Thank you so much! In this case $20 goes a long way!!

I'm about to leave to go pick up my friend so we can get on the road. Wish us luck!

Ashley

[dukedogsmom]

I guess I'll do the update here. I've deleted the fundable account. I learned in an email that the funds would only be available if all were raised and also they wouldn't be available until the drive was over which would have been in 25 days. Also, several dogs were pulled by Ashley today but Bear wasn't one of them :( He's very sick and needs to see a vet before he can be exposed to her dogs. If you're still interested in helping Bear, she's reserved a spot for him at her house and the place he's staying won't do anything with him without hearing from her. Also, there's a man on the Lab board that only adopts senior dogs. We're trying to get in contact with him.

[kuhio98]

Sorry you deleted it. There is a way to stop the donations, lower the amount and collect the $$. I know Taffy's Mom (in Dog Health) did that. At least you could have gotten $90. :(

[moosmom]

Another reason why I don't believe in adopting out to college kids. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

[CathyBogart]

Another reason why I don't believe in adopting out to college kids. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

I think Jasper would disagree with you.

[moosmom]

CathyBogart,

Oh well...that's just my opinion. We agree to disagree sometimes, right??

I'm not saying Jason is a bad kid that would dump his animals. I'm just saying that, in my experience with adopting to college kids, once they graduate and move back home, parents usually don't want the responsibility of an animal, so they just leave them to fend for themselves. Hence, feral cats for which I have been busting my @$$ to trap, neuter and release.

[kittycats_delight]

Another reason why I don't believe in adopting out to college kids. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

Donna...maybe I am wrong but I believe it was the parents who dumped this dog after 10 years of the dog living with them and their son growing up. When the boy went to college the 'parents' dumped the dog not the kid.

Please someone correct me if I am wrong.

Michelle

[moosmom]

If that IS the case, I stand corrected. But...SHAME ON THOSE PARENTS!! I still stand by my opinion though.

[caseysmom]

From what I read it was the parents doing it, guess we shouldn't adopt out to adult parents:p

[Denyce]

In defense of Donna I live here in State College the home of the Penn State Nittany Lions and we have a HUGE problem with students dumping pets. They leave them behind in apartments, dorms, on campus, in dumpsters, downtown State College, at the many farms and in the mountains and rural areas. I have several cats which I suspect to be student dumps. None of the rescue organizations here in SC will adopt out to undergrads unless they are locals and even then it is iffy. But with the multitude of farms and byb's and pet stores they can always find one. I can't tell you how many college age students I see with puppies and kittens. I don't see nearly as many with adult pets. It is sad when the dumpsters have to be searched at the end of each semester for live animals because of irresponsible students.

But there are always exceptions to every rule as I know Cathy is. *smile*


ok I won't hijack this thread anymore...

Thank you to those that are going to the extra effort to help save these pets.

We have an organization called "Pets Come First" here in SC which started as a watch dog operation for our local SPCA and since we have had many positive changes in our SPCA they have changed to raising money for vet care and foster homes for the SPCA. I am sure someone would be happy to talk to you all if you want advice as to how to go about making positive changes at this shelter.

[moosmom]

Thanks Denyce.

[Aspen and Misty]

Val is working hard on rescuing this sweet old guy, she is amazing and I have no doubt that it will happen.

For those of you who may be disappointed in me for not Getting Bear: The shelter can hold about 25 dogs at a time and they only have 11 dogs right now. They keep all the dogs until they get full and that is the only time they start euthanizing so Bear has until at least mid week next week, and that is cutting his time short because he was just recently brought in and the staff consider him very adoptable. He is a happy dog who doesn't seem bothered by the shelter at all which is why his weight loss concerns me so much. I don't think it is due to stress or his environment in any way but due to sickness. He also looks like he has bad arthritis, which I expected, but he will need to go on Glucosamine at the very least. Just the change in Bear in one day still amazes me. He didn't look so unhealthy the first time I saw him but the second time I saw him I was extremely concerned about him. As Val said I have 3 other dogs along with 2 cats whose health I have to consider when I bring a new dog in which is why all newbie’s must see the vet before coming into my home, I'm just extremely cautious when it comes to my pets health. At this time I don't personally have the money to cover anything more than Bear's vaccines and heart worm test and my vet doesn't do payment plans. As I told Val he is more than welcome at my house if funding can be raised and donated to my vet in order to cover his vet cost. I'm very sorry that Bear was left behind on this trip, I know Val was heartbroken.

Ashley

[Grace]

I would like to donate for Bear. Can someone give me details of whom to call or write or whatever.

Thanks.

[dukedogsmom]

I talked to Joni (she's the one that put him on Petfinder) yesterday afternoon and she was waiting to hear from Heather who lives about an hour from where bear was located. Heather has a 12 year old dog and 5 year old daughter. She was a little reluctant about Bear in case he did have some big medical bills to start off. I told her that there were several people willing to donate money. Otherwise, Bear would have been flown to the sanctuary in Ohio. Well, Heather decided to take a chance on this sweet old guy and here they all are as a family. I'll tell you, it does my :love: good to see this.
http://www.boomspeed.com/dukedogsmom/Bearsnewhome.jpg

[Moesha]

What a wonderful update!

[moosmom]

What a wonderful happy ending.

[Grace]

What a wonderful update!! They all look so very happy.

Thanks for all you have done for Bear.

[CathyBogart]

Aww, good for Bear! :love: What a happy ending for the old guy. :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so glad that Bear now has a new loving forever home.:) Thanks for updating us.:)

[dukedogsmom]

Another update and this one just warms my heart even more. I'm sending an email tonight to Heather to see how we can donate.

"I just wanted everyone to know that Bear is doing well and seems to be adjusting to his environment (and actually trying to “mark it as his own”)! Aside from his occasional wetting in the house, he is a perfect pet for us.

Last night, our daughter (Amelia) was exhausted and she had a meltdown at bedtime. Bear was very concerned about her. I was walking her to her bedroom, she was crying, he followed us back and I had to call him several times to get him to leave her room (he is typically very responsive to his name). Finally, he came back out to the living room with me, but he immediately went back to her room and stayed there with her until she stopped crying (probably about 2 or 3 minutes) and then he came back out with my husband and I. My heart melted for him at that point, I know for sure that he will be protective of her and he was meant to be with us. I will get updated pictures, he almost does not look like the same dog anymore!"

Heather

[Grace]

What a wonderful update!! Thank you, Val.

I wonder if the medicine that Glacier gives Pirate for leaking urine might also work for Bear?

[Karen]

Bear sounds much like my Sheba, who was my very best friend, first dog, teacher and self-appointed protector. It makes me grin to know he now has a family and a little girl of his own.

[captain]

Val,
That was a wonderful update. Thanks for all you did for him ....

[dukedogsmom]

Here's the latest:

Bear does not have heartworms, and his heart sounds good and his teeth look good for 10! I appreciate all of the offers to support medical expenses, but it appears that there is nothing out of the norm to treat. He is 58 lbs and the vet said she would like to see him weigh between 65 and 70 lbs. We are going to wait until next week to have him neutered, she wanted to make sure he continues eating and put a little weight on first.

Thanks again for everything. I tried to get pictures of Bear, but he is camera shy, the flash scared him off and he runs when he sees me with the camera now. In another email, she said she had tried to get a pic of Bear with the flash. He ran and she found him cowering in a corner :(
I may try to get a video of him and put it on youtube for all of you to see him in action.

-Heather
Isn't this great? I had a feeling he was fine. Just an old soul that needed a chance. I'm so glad that he's finally got a home he deserves :love:

[chocolatepuppy]

How wonderful for Bear! God bless you Val and the family that adopted him.:)

[Grace]

The news just keeps getting better and better - especially for Bear http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/March16th/wheee.gif


Any news about Lizzie - I've been wondering if life is getting better for her now that she is out of that shelter?

[Aspen and Misty]

This is great to hear! Bear looks so happy in that picture and I'm glad that everything turned out OK health wise. I was so worried about him and I have never been so glad to be wrong in my life!!


Any news about Lizzie - I've been wondering if life is getting better for her now that she is out of that shelter?

Lizzie is doing great. She has begun wagging her tail and is slowly gaining cofidence. She can now sorta walk on a leash and doesn't cower when you go near her any more. She has begun asking to be petted and will whine a bit when you walk out of the room. We also have Suzi a Pitt bull who is absolutly amazing and has no issues at all, Samson a Husky who was said to be hat4e cats but he can already be left out with the cats in the same room with no problems at all and last but not least is Skylar a 3 1/2 month old Husky mix puppy who is just simply scared out of her mind by everything. She is currently with me and my dogs have been helping her make leaps and bounds. She can now walk on a leash and will aproach you for belly rubs.

Ashley

[Grace]

This is great to hear! Bear looks so happy in that picture and I'm glad that everything turned out OK health wise. I was so worried about him and I have never been so glad to be wrong in my life!!

Lizzie is doing great. She has begun wagging her tail and is slowly gaining cofidence. She can now sorta walk on a leash and doesn't cower when you go near her any more. She has begun asking to be petted and will whine a bit when you walk out of the room. We also have Suzi a Pitt bull who is absolutly amazing and has no issues at all, Samson a Husky who was said to be hat4e cats but he can already be left out with the cats in the same room with no problems at all and last but not least is Skylar a 3 1/2 month old Husky mix puppy who is just simply scared out of her mind by everything. She is currently with me and my dogs have been helping her make leaps and bounds. She can now walk on a leash and will aproach you for belly rubs.
Ashley

Thank you so much for the wonderful update on Lizzie. Those pictures of her in the shelter about broke my heart. I wasn't aware that you sprung all the others!!

[Aspen and Misty]

Thank you so much for the wonderful update on Lizzie. Those pictures of her in the shelter about broke my heart. I wasn't aware that you sprung all the others!!

And more to come! We want all the dogs of Elberton Countyto have a happy ending like Bear. We are already planning on how we can get more out.



Ashley