Gladys

We were asked by Kristen Hill, Animal Control Officer for Livingston, CA and long-time PUP volunteer, if we would take a very senior Dachshund in. We knew this would possibly be for life. We don’t like to see seniors die in the shelter. It’s difficult enough to watch highly adoptable young dogs and cats die, but once upon a time someone loved this senior girl and we knew it. Maybe she was owned by a man or woman who was elderly and passed, and the family didn’t want her or couldn’t afford to care for her? We didn’t know. We just knew we had to bring our little old lady home to PUP. We named her Gracefully Ancient Gladys, but she’s anything but “ancient”. This little one gently rules the roost at her foster home. She loves all and lets you know it too. She is on clindamycin for her teeth and on gabapentin for life. We’re hoping our little one becomes strong enough one day to remove those icky teeth. If not, she’ll continue to receive the medications she needs.

Mai

Another pup came from one of our local shelters. We named her Mai. We thought she would be adoptable, but we learned she is both deaf and blind and requires a special diet, so our final refuge home will take care of her until she’s just too tired to go on. We think someone must have carried this little one around with them. If you’re not touching her or within eyesight, she will let you know how unhappy she is… quite loudly. Mai also loves to burrow into her soft, fuzzy blankets. But when she grows tired of trying to get completely covered up on her own, she will bellow at the top of her little lungs… often at 3 in the morning. So her foster mom will wrap her up and tuck her in… at which time she will immediately go back to sleep. It just tickles her foster mom’s soul when she does it, even at 3 in the morning, she says.

Josephine

We have recently pulled in another senior Rat Terrier from one of our local shelters who we named Josephine. She is nine years old and suffering from extreme neglect. She’s very malnourished and has terribly abscessed teeth. In spite of this she is incredibly warm, friendly, and snuggly – she’s so glad to be out of the shelter and in a real home. She will be having dental surgery next week, and will likely lose several teeth. After recovering from surgery we will determine if she will be adoptable. If she’s not adoptable, she too will live out her life here with all of us at PUP. Always having a home and family.

Coco

We also have a dog that lives with one of our trainers. We don’t know if she will ever be ready for the public, but we-and they-aren’t ready to give up on her. She’s super fearful except of those she knows. Yes, we could place her in a home with very tight restrictions and requirements, but what better home is there than with one of the best dog trainers in the state and their family? It can’t get any better or safer than that for our girl.

Cuddles, Whiskers, and Gwen

We also have two kitties that are now reaching two years. They along with their three siblings came to PUP as 8-week-old kittens. Unfortunately, three of the litter passed of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) after being adopted. A deadly disease where there is no treatment or cure. Along with our adopters, our founder also adopted one of these kittens, and her family too was heartbroken at the loss of their sweet little one. We offered free “replacement” kittens to our adopters, which some did do. But, how can you “replace” a beloved family member? You really can’t. The sad thing is that FIP can be avoided if families keep their momma cats as indoor kitties and don’t let them outside, or breeders keep their breeding areas clean and free of disease. Unfortunately, when kittens are born into an area where the corona virus lives, they will easily pick up the virus. Although cats can survive the corona virus with treatment, they cannot survive when corona turns to the deadly wet or dry FIP. When we ask our adopters to keep their adopted kitties in the home, this is one reason we do so. To keep them from the senseless suffering that both we and our adopters went through. Gwen and Whiskers will live out their lives here at PUP with our founder and she hopes they never have to suffer as their beautiful siblings suffered.

To make a donation to our medical fund, and the care of these senior dogs and cats, please visit www.pupdogrescue.org/medical-fund.html

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