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DH has gone from "No more dogs!" to "if we hear of a small dog who needs a home, we will take it." So things are looking up. I'm not quite over the loss of my little Pupper, but I'm getting there.
 
DH has gone from "No more dogs!" to "if we hear of a small dog who needs a home, we will take it." So things are looking up. I'm not quite over the loss of my little Pupper, but I'm getting there.

Oh Carol, I completely understand. At least he is thinking about it. Me thinks he is missing Pupper also and doesn't want to admit it. So one day when the two of you have a just hanging around day, take a trip to your local animal rescue league and there just may be a small dog that needs a "forever home." Do let us know when you get a new dog. Share the joy with us. :angel: This one is for your little Pupper. :angel:
 
There are a lot of ways one can have a pet without being responsible for the pet. I am currently "safe keeping" a family pet for a victim of domestic violence. Once the woman gets back on her feet, the pet will go back to the vet clinic and back to the woman and the kids. All I have to do is keep the pet safe, give it cuddles, feed it, etc. I will be house breaking this beast...but that's it. No cost to me, just time, and the organization guarantees that the person responsible for the violence has no trail to me.


I have fostered over 100 dogs since 1998 (placed 90- of them--kept five and had to euthanize 5 for terminal illnesses), drove over 175 dogs 20,000 km one year to rescue groups located outside of the area, coordinated more transport runs than I can count rom MO to OH and other states and provinces. I have arranged care for dogs for people undergoing chemo or other life changing situations. There are many ways to have a pet without making the long-term commitment, especially if you're getting older and are uncertain about how long you can make the commitment. You just have to be able to let the pet go. And the difference you can make in the life of the animal (and the owner in the case of safe housing for a person getting out of a domestic violence situation) is a really great feeling.
 
One of the joys in my life is Teddy. That little white ball of fun in the picture.

There is no way that I can have a pet. It is impossible for me to walk a dog daily. So Spike stops by everyday with Teddy so I can play with him. I certainly could never afford to take a pet to the vet for a yearly checkup. And I can't bend over to change a litter box. We are allowed to have pets in this building. And several residents have more than one dog or cat.

It is a known and proven fact that when elderly folks have a pet, the owners are healthier and are able to care for their pets better than some folks do. So I will continue to play with Teddy. And if he wants to continue to lick my ear if I am sleeping because he wants to play, that is just fine with me. :angel:
 
The cost of vet care is one of the reasons we had decided on no more dogs. The animal rescue in our town does not have room for all the dogs so they take volunteers to foster them. If I did that, I would be afraid I would get attached and then someone would want to adopt the animal and I would have to go through losing another one. The last 2 dogs we had we got because my step-daughter knew someone who needed to find a home for a pet when a family member passed away. I'm thinking something similar will happen. They came to us already house broken, and past the chewing stage. They both ended up to be wonderful loving pets. I am highly allergic to cats.

I also could volunteer at the shelter in the next town. They have a nice new facility with a walking trail, and take volunteers to walk and take care of the animals. I would want to adopt every one of them.
 
There are a lot of ways one can have a pet without being responsible for the pet. I am currently "safe keeping" a family pet for a victim of domestic violence. Once the woman gets back on her feet, the pet will go back to the vet clinic and back to the woman and the kids. All I have to do is keep the pet safe, give it cuddles, feed it, etc. I will be house breaking this beast...but that's it. No cost to me, just time, and the organization guarantees that the person responsible for the violence has no trail to me.


I have fostered over 100 dogs since 1998 (placed 90- of them--kept five and had to euthanize 5 for terminal illnesses), drove over 175 dogs 20,000 km one year to rescue groups located outside of the area, coordinated more transport runs than I can count rom MO to OH and other states and provinces. I have arranged care for dogs for people undergoing chemo or other life changing situations. There are many ways to have a pet without making the long-term commitment, especially if you're getting older and are uncertain about how long you can make the commitment. You just have to be able to let the pet go. And the difference you can make in the life of the animal (and the owner in the case of safe housing for a person getting out of a domestic violence situation) is a really great feeling.
In the UK The Guide Dogs For The Blind charity use "Puppy walkers " as foster carers for the puppies they breed before they are old enough for guide dog training. If the equivalent organisation in the USA does this that might be a way to go for CarolPA
 
MC, a friend had a horse with Cushing's. She managed the illness for a number of years. The medication was expensive, the horse did just fine. Hopefully the vet will figure out what is going on. Tetley sounds like a very special horse.
Cushing's is becoming more and more common, largely because horses are living longer. 23 is nothing these days whereas 40 or 50 years ago few horses made it that far. When I was a little girl there was a retired pony at the riding school who was healthy at 30 years old. The local vets used to bring students to see her as it was so unusual to see a pony that old.


The prognosis with Cushing's isn't anywhere as bad as it used to be. It can be spotted earlier and modern meds are much more effective. Tetley's next door neighbour has it and she's doing very well on meds.


I'm hoping no news is good news. Vet's coming back at the end of the month to do routine annual checks - vaccinations, teeth, etc., - and will check him over again. If there was seriously bad news from the test he would ring me and tell me.
 
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In the UK The Guide Dogs For The Blind charity use "Puppy walkers " as foster carers for the puppies they breed before they are old enough for guide dog training. If the equivalent organisation in the USA does this that might be a way to go for CarolPA
I've done that, too. Besides having my own dogs. The problem is that people get attached. We used to call those "failed fosters." You have to be able to give the dog / cat / bird back knowing it will be treasured and you can help another animal. Over 200 animals have crossed my path and gone on to be treasured pets. Some have been therapy dogs, others have been the best companions ever. Some of the most endearing friends I have made through time have been those I've met because of the dogs that needed help. Best people. Worst people--those dumping their animals because of weak excuses. There are reasons to rehome a pet, but having a baby, moving, divorce, animal is old are not good reasons. The worst was a senior dog dumped at the shelter because the children had allergies. When I called to get more information, there were no children. The couple was embarking on RVing. The wife couldn't be bothered. The husband was shocked she had lied to the shelter.
 
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A friend of mine used to foster cats until the shelter could find a forever home for them. She fell in love with one of them and became a "failed foster". I didn't think that was such a failure.
 
When entering into a foster agreement, you either do it because you want to "test drive" a potential pet or because you want to help an animal find a better place. My house is a really good place for animal--but I love to send an animal on to a better home--where the animal will be treasured and loved until the end of its life. I give my animals a good life, but those animals that were dumped, deserve to be treasured.


When I contacted the organization for which I am currently fostering, the person described me as the best foster ever (a wet dream is what she said). Why? Because I have fostered/trained/loved more than 250 dogs. That's more dogs than most people would ever have in a lifetime. 5, 6 but 250? That's a lot of dogs. And, most of them weighed over 150 lb. Some are ones I only kept for a few days and then drove to rescue groups, others I had for 5 or 6 months, others were here back and forth between their perma-fosters and my house. But all were loved. And I still don't know what I will do with the urns of ashes. I promised the dogs would have a forever place. I just didn't know I'd end up with so many urns of ashes.
 
A friend of mine used to foster cats until the shelter could find a forever home for them. She fell in love with one of them and became a "failed foster". I didn't think that was such a failure.

Not everyone can tell their friends with pride, "I am a failure!" :angel:
 
The first dog I took in was a Newfoundland. She was tied up at a cottage. The owners left her there tied up. A co-worker had a cottage next to that cottage and asked me if I would take her. She was severely underweight, had broken teeth from eating rocks. She also was in whelp. She was tattooed, which meant she was CKC registered. I never want to whelp another litter of puppies. She ended up staying with us for 3 years. She died of stomach cancer. She was challenge. She would not go outside--she would go in the basement to poop and pee. I strung a string of jingle bells over the stairway so I would hear her go when she tried to go down stairs. I couldn't take her in the car with the windows open--if she smelled water, she would jump out of the window. She would also attack small dogs. After $1000 in vet care (she had to have a C-section and there was a stillborn puppy in there), I kept her. But she was my introduction to rescue and "if not me, than who??" You do what you can. You can be a volunteer with guide dogs, walk/socialize animals at the local shelter, help a local rescue group groom dogs/cats. Sew bandanas, dog/cat beds. Walk dogs, take them to training classes. There's are a whole of things you can do without adopting a dog, cat, bird.


My "lads" raised $385 baking cupcakes and pupcakes on National Cupcake Day (Feb 23) for the our local humane society. Could I be any prouder of them! What they did was invite neighbours to a cupcake party. The folks donated $. The boys didn't make 385 cupcakes. Their goal was to raise $100. They exceeded it.
 
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I met a new big black dog at the laundromat today, luckily I had some biscuits in the car. He let me throw his toy and was excited about bringing it back, repeatedly. His owner was disappointed when he found out I was married, told him I was sorry, but I was just in it for the dog fun.
 
...There are reasons to rehome a pet, but having a baby, moving, divorce, animal is old are not good reasons...
I don't know how someone could walk away from an animal who has been a member of their family.

When it first looked like we might move back to OH with LittleBit, I kept thinking of my options. Moving TO MA, our daughter was living in my parents' home so Midnight moved in with her, waiting for the day when we could drive straight through from OH to MA. I figured I'd have to beg my SIL or a friend to foster LittleBit until we had settled and could do a one-day from MA to OH. Now Bitsy's gone, and I've decided to live without a kitty until we do move back. *sigh* Some days, though, I wonder if I'll ever get a cat or OH.
 
What drives me insane is the folks who give up senior dogs who've been a part of their family for years, for any reason. I would sleep in a box before I would ever give up my dog.
 
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What drives me insane is the folks who give up senior dogs who've been a part of their family for years, for any reason. I would sleep in a box before I would ever give up my dog.
You aren't alone. I would too, for a family member. There are actually some homeless people in Montreal who do it. They are homeless because they can't find affordable housing that allows animals. :(

There are people trying to get a bylaw that forbids that, with a few exceptions, e.g., it's a duplex/triplex/Nplex and the someone in the owner's family is severely allergic and lives in the building.
 
Yes, "No Pets" keeps us in this apartment and mine are grandfathered in, no one in the other apartments are allowed pets.
 
The first dog I took in was a Newfoundland. She was tied up at a cottage. The owners left her there tied up. A co-worker had a cottage next to that cottage and asked me if I would take her. She was severely underweight, had broken teeth from eating rocks. She also was in whelp. She was tattooed, which meant she was CKC registered. I never want to whelp another litter of puppies. She ended up staying with us for 3 years. She died of stomach cancer. She was challenge. She would not go outside--she would go in the basement to poop and pee. I strung a string of jingle bells over the stairway so I would hear her go when she tried to go down stairs. I couldn't take her in the car with the windows open--if she smelled water, she would jump out of the window. She would also attack small dogs. After $1000 in vet care (she had to have a C-section and there was a stillborn puppy in there), I kept her. But she was my introduction to rescue and "if not me, than who??" You do what you can. You can be a volunteer with guide dogs, walk/socialize animals at the local shelter, help a local rescue group groom dogs/cats. Sew bandanas, dog/cat beds. Walk dogs, take them to training classes. There's are a whole of things you can do without adopting a dog, cat, bird.


My "lads" raised $385 baking cupcakes and pupcakes on National Cupcake Day (Feb 23) for the our local humane society. Could I be any prouder of them! What they did was invite neighbours to a cupcake party. The folks donated $. The boys didn't make 385 cupcakes. Their goal was to raise $100. They exceeded it.
A friend of mine volunteers at a cat sanctuary which specialises in cats which can't be re-homed due to age or infirmity. She goes along for two or three hours a couple of times a week to keep the cats company. She calls it her "cat cuddling job".
 
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