Farewell, Miss Jinny!

A true Georgia girl at heart

Transport Time!

Our sweet Miss Jinny left on transport today. She's heading for New York to find her forever home through Perfect Pets Rescue. Jinny came such a long way during the short two months we had her. She endured a really tough dental, survived the throes of heartworm treatment, kicked both a skin infection and a GI virus, underwent surgery to cut out two ingrown dewclaws, AND tolerated some pretty intense grooming sessions as we cut all the awful mats out of her fur and brushed her back to her full Collie glory. Out of all our fosters so far, Jinny was in the worst shape (even rougher than Oliver). This gal is a trooper! Now she's on a bus to New York where she'll start fresh. Jinny is free to leave all the neglect she suffered behind.

Hey, whatcha doin?

Looking alert and perky

Check out that sassy tail!

We finally started to see Jinny's personality peek through during the last week we had her. She's still definitely a very low-key girl, but there is a little sassiness that's been waiting to come out. With all the issues she had to recover from, it's no wonder she needed a few weeks to open up. For most of the time she spent with us, Jinny didn't even have the energy to pick herself up off the floor and go outside more than twice a day. She obviously did not feel well at all. Over the past week, we saw Jinny transform from a lifeless doorstop to a spunky lass. She got up off the living room rug! She began to carry her tail up in the air and even wag it a bit! She gained interest in food (hers and ours)! She trotted over to us for a head scratchings and belly rubs! We were so happy to see her feeling that much better. Miss J is such a good girl. She's about as easy as dogs can possibly be. Whoever ends up with her is a very lucky person. I hope they realize what a gentle gem she is. Good luck, Jinny!

HUGE thanks to everyone at Perfect Pets Rescue and The Veterinary Clinic in Marietta for helping restore Jinny to full health and happiness. If you'd like to donate to PPR so they can keep helping others like Jinny, please click here: http://www.perfectpetsrescue.org/donations-and-how-you-can-help.html

UPDATE: Jinny's adopted! Woohoo! Congratulations and BEST of luck to you, sweet girl!

Jinny's Journey: A Brief Overview of Heartworms and HW Treatment

Miss J resting more comfortably

I want to update everyone on how Jinny's doing since beginning her heartworm treatment this past weekend. As I wrote in my previous post, she had a hard time Saturday after her second Immiticide injection. She's since doing much better: she has her appetite back, she's not nearly as sore from the injections, and she's stopped panting all the time. This is great news. Of the three dogs we've seen through heartworm treatment (Oliver, Cowboy, and now Jinny), Jinny's initial reaction to the Immiticide was the worst of the bunch. We are very relieved to see her improvement since Saturday.

I also want to explain heartworms a little bit better than I thought I had in past posts. For those

who are not very familiar with heartworms and what the treatment entails, I'm sorry this blog has gone on for so long without breaking it down. Heartworms are just what they sound: worms that grow in a dog's heart, lungs, and blood vessels. The disease is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes and is rampant in the southern part of our country. These nasty worms are like angel hair spaghetti noodles and can grow as long as 14 inches. You can google a picture of an infested heart...it's disgusting. You may never eat spaghetti again (unless you're me, then that's just simply an impossible thought). If left untreated, heartworms will ultimately cause heart failure. See why it's SO critically important to give your dog heartworm preventative each month?

Going through treatment to get rid of a heartworm infestation is not a walk in the park. Just ask

Oliver keeping Jinny company while she rests

Jinny, Cowboy, Oliver, or any of the lucky dogs from DeKalb County Animal Services who beat heartworms thanks to the sponsorship of rescue groups like Perfect Pets / See Spot Rescued / Friends of DeKalb Animals. It sucks. I told Jinny as I dropped her off at the vet on Friday: "Last time we brought you here, you walked out the door feeling much better. This time isn't going to be the same, but I promise you it will be so worth it very soon!". I wasn't lying. The fast kill method that Jinny, Oliver, and Cowboy endured involves two shots of a drug called Immiticide. Immiticide is an arsenic-based drug (yes, arsenic) that is injected very deeply into the dog's lower back muscles to kill the adult heartworms. The infected dog gets the first shot on day one and a second shot on day two. Drew thinks of it as being injected with liquid fire. I think that must be accurate. The worms slowly break down and are absorbed by the body. The dog must stay VERY calm during this time because the dying worms clog the arteries until they're absorbed. If the dog exerts itself during this phase of treatment (whether through exercise, excitement, stress, or anything that gets the heart/breathing rate up), the dead worms are more liable to break away, clog the lungs' main artery, and cause death. After 30 days, the dog gets an oral dose of ivermectin to finish the process. Ivermectin is the same drug that's in your regular old monthly heartgard. It kills off the remaining heartworm eggs. At this point, the dog can gradually return to normal activity level. Slowly but surely is key here. At the six month mark, a blood test is done to be sure the treatment worked. After this long and painful treatment process, the dog should now test heartworm negative. And that's how it works! Yikes, right?

I'll never forget the day Oliver tested negative and I am so excited for Cowboy and Jinny to get to that point. We like fostering dogs through heartworm treatment. It's super rewarding to help a dog get rid of what's likely his/her greatest obstacle standing in the way of adoption. We have a very structured routine around our house and it seems to work well for keeping dogs calm during their treatments. We've also been so fortunate that Oliver, Cowboy, and Jinny have all been so incredibly mellow. That makes our job WAY easier. I'm so thankful that there are awesome rescue groups willing to take HW+ dogs out of the shelter and into their programs, despite the high cost of HW treatment. Thanks, Perfect Pets Rescue, for helping Jinny and so many others like her! To help Perfect Pets Rescue cover this summer's medical costs for Jinny and her rescued friends, please follow this fundrazr link: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/4Yqqf

Jinny Goes to the Vet

This is how Jinny spends most of her time

Now that Jinny is recovered from her spay surgery, we took her to the vet to evaluate the next step in preparing her for adoption. After talking through some of the issues we've noticed over the past two weeks, the vet decided that it's best for Jinny to postpone her heartworm treatment for a couple more weeks. Jinny has a couple of bad teeth that need to come out and a piece of her gum has grown down around a rotten back molar. This causes Jinny a lot of discomfort and difficulty eating. The vet said her belly irritation is a staph infection that looks like it came from licking razor burn around her spay incision. Poor girl. She'll be on antibiotics for that. Her ingrown dewclaws healed very nicely.

One of a few broken/rotten teeth

A full dental (which requires general anesthesia) and heartworm shots all in one weekend would tax Jinny's system too much. So, we'll get the teeth taken care of and get rid of any infection before taking her back for heartworm treatment. Jinny should feel much better in a couple of weeks without those painful teeth and that itchy skin infection. We ought to see her energy level and personality pick up a bit. She's been wanting to do nothing but lie on the living room rug 24/7. I'd feel junky too with rotten teeth and a fever. It will be wonderful to see her perk up a little! We'll keep you posted on her progress...she still has a few hurdles to clear before she's ready for her trip to New York.

Get well soon, Jinny!



Introducing Jinny, the Fairest Lass in all the Land

Jinny's intake photo at animal control

Another photo from AC

Meet sassy Miss Jinny, our newest foster gal! Jinny is a 5 (ish) year old rough coated Collie / Sheltie mix who weighs about 40 pounds. She's super sweet, very quiet, ever so polite, and just a really good girl. A DeKalb County animal control officer picked Jinny up as a stray in Doraville on June 9th. The shelter has been at max capacity recently and poor Jinny never made it into the relative safety of the adoptions ward. We pulled her from the main ward for Perfect Pets Rescue yesterday.

Drew grooming Jinny on Day 1

Jinny's poor dewclaws post trimming

Drew picked her name and prefers it spelled with a "J" instead of the conventional "G". I don't think it's ever taken us quite this long to name a dog before, but we wanted to take our time picking something feminine that suited her personality well. Jinny is short for Virginia, which means fair maiden. This seems to fit her nicely. 

What a lovely lady!

Jinny resting on Day 1

Jinny tested positive for heartworms, which means we'll have her for 3-4 months while she undergoes treatment. After that, she'll board the FODA transport bus and head up to PPR in Poughkeepsie, New York to await her forever home. She also had badly ingrown dewclaws; the claws grew so long that they wrapped around and pierced her toe pads. The shelter vet clipped them to an appropriate length while Jinny wasunder anesthesia for her spay procedure. They'll be swollen and sore for a while, but will heal with time and a little antibiotic assistance. Drew spent a good bit of time gently cutting mats out of her coat and washing away the dirt with a damp cloth, as she can't have a full bath until her spay incision fully heals. After that, she got a good thorough brushing. Her coat looks worlds better now and she's feeling much more comfortable without all those awful mats pulling her skin.

Bunkies & Jinny

Jinny appears to be completely housebroken. She also sleeps quietly in her crate at night and will retreat to it for afternoon naps when she needs a moment to herself. She doesn't mind the other dogs at all. Bunkin seems to think we brought Jinny home just for him. They are in collie mix heaven together (see photos). We are so happy to have Jinny in our home. It is an honor to help her on her journey toward forever.

Perfect Pets Rescue (PPR) is a wonderful group that pulls countless dogs from DeKalb County Animal Services and other area shelters. They make sure their foster dogs have everything they need. PPR really rocked the house this weekend when they pulled a small breed dog with NINE puppies, a staff & fan favorite Australian Kelpie named Sushi, and getting the ball rolling on an adorable young pup ALL in addition to placing Jinny with us. Paws big time UP for PPR! If you'd like to donate to PPR so they can continue their awesome work, please visit this page: http://www.perfectpetsrescue.org/donations-and-how-you-can-help.html

Cowboy: 30 Day Update

Exciting progress: as of yesterday, Cowboy is 30 days into his heartworm treatment! I gave him his oral dose of ivermectin, which will kill off any remaining heartworm eggs and larvae. Over the next two weeks, he can begin gradually increasing his activity level. After that, he'll be able to go back to normal. We've had Cowboy for six weeks now; he's such a good boy. We just love him. As transport time draws nearer than ever, we're beginning to get a bit melancholy at the thought of saying goodbye to this handsome boy. Although it'll be difficult, I'm super excited to see what his future has in store! 

 
In other news, I found an old embedded collar scar around Cowboy's neck. Because he has heartworms, I imagine he grew up outside either chained or with a collar that became too small as he grew bigger. His scar is covered by fluffy fur and only runs around the top half of his neck. It's super sad to think of Cowboy in pain with a collar cutting a deep wound in his neck, but he's happy and almost completely healthy now.

Cowboy's become a pro at snuggling. He's a first class mush-mallow. Check out all these pictures and short video of him soaking in the love. Please try to ignore me in the video; it shows how relaxed, gentle, and loving Cowboy is. He'll gladly let you rub his ears and belly, grab his face, pretty much manhandle him however you want as long as there's a good hug in it for him! We'll have Cowboy for about three more weeks before he goes on transport to NJ. I'm most concerned about how Oliver will do once he's gone. Old Hound and Pokey Nose are best friends. Stay tuned for the conclusion of Cowboy's journey!

2 Week Update: Cowboy

Today marks two weeks into Cowboy's heartworm treatment. He's been with us for four weeks total now. Cowboy is doing really well so far. He had one fairly rough day last week and chose to spend most of the day in his crate voluntarily. He had slight coughing and gagging going on, but nothing bad. Oliver's "bad days" during his treatment were much worse and greater in number, but he had a much heavier heartworm infestation than Cowboy. While Cowboy's a pretty chill guy anyway, he does like to play so it's been a challenge keeping him calm. His heart rate has to stay low so that the Immiticide can work without harming him.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the heartworm treatment process (as I wasn't before Oliver), Immiticide is an arsenic-based drug that is injected intramuscularly into the dog's lower back. The Immiticide will kill the adult heartworms that clog the dog's heart. Obviously, arsenic is toxic, very hard on the dog's system, and causes adverse side effects. On top of this, the dog must stay calm for the 4-6 week recovery period in order to diminish the risk of pulmonary embolism caused by the dead worms getting stuck in the lungs. At the 30 day mark, Cowboy will get an oral administration of Ivermectin to get rid of any eggs left behind. While the process is arduous, it is well worth it for most dogs. Heartworms look like full-length spaghetti noodles jamming up the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels. Google image it. It's not a pretty way to go: left untreated, heartworms may cause all kinds of awful problems and will ultimately lead to congestive heart failure. In the final stages of untreated infestation, a dog's chest will be visibly bulging with heartworms.

Anyway, all of that to say PLEASE be sure to give your dogs their monthly heartworm preventative in addition to flea and tick control. It's a small price to pay to ensure your dog's ticker stays healthy. Heartworms are rampant in the south because they are spread by infected mosquitoes. I can't even tell you how many dogs come into our shelter HW+. It's horrible. As an added precaution, I give my dogs a flea preventative that also repels mosquitoes (ticks, mites, and lice as well, but they don't have anything to do with heartworms) in addition to their monthly heartworm preventative. Because heartworms or not, nobody likes itchy mosquito bites!

Long story (PSA, rather) short, Cowboy is hanging in there just fine. I couldn't resist including some pathetically adorable photos of him doing his best to rest. He's just so darn lovable! Also, if you'd like to take a look back at Oliver's journey through heartworm treatment, here's a link to a previous blog post about it: http://ohfortheloveofdogs.blogspot.com/2011/12/oliver-our-very-first-foster-dog.html
In the meantime, keep your paws crossed for Cowboy! He's a trooper. AND if you'd like to help more HW+ dogs at the DeKalb County shelter get treated, here's a link to the group that funds their treatment: http://friendsofdekalbanimals.com/

48 Hours: Cowboy's Heartworm Treatment

Sleepy Cow & Pity Hound

I dropped Cowboy off at DeKalb County Animal Services yesterday morning to begin his heartworm treatment. This first stage consists of two injections spaced apart by 24 hours (one yesterday and one today). For a refresher course on heartworm treatment, check out my older posts on Oliver's treatment to find out why it's so crucial that Cowboy remains calm through his recovery. Cowboy stayed at the shelter overnight in the vet trailer. I picked him up this afternoon and he's definitely sad and sore, but doing ok so far. He will be on strict cage rest and not allowed to go off-leash in the yard for the next four weeks. Cowboy's a pretty playful guy, so it's going to be a fairly tall order to keep him calm for the next several weeks. At the 30 day mark, he'll get an oral dose and then require two more weeks of rest before he can gradually return to normal. This was no problem at all with Oliver because he's so chill. While Cowboy's also a very mild-mannered guy, he is much younger than Oliver and I'm a little more nervous about keeping him still. Regardless of my nerves, I know it will all be ok. He's a really good boy and loves to snuggle, so if I have to sit on the floor and rub his belly for the next six weeks straight in order to keep him calm, that's just what I'll do.

We took Cowboy out a few times over the past week to get him some good exercise before his treatment. All of these pictures show Cowboy getting some fresh air and having big adventures. Oliver missed Cowboy a bunch while he was at the shelter getting his shots. He was a very mopey old hound and he's super glad that Cowboy's back home now, even though he can't be rowdy with him. I explained to Oliver that Cowboy is going through what he went through this time last year. Ollie seems to understand. I hope he can make Cowboy feel better by somehow telling him that it's worth all the cage rest in the world to have a healthy heart. Houndy is such a sweet empathetic old guy; I know he'll be by Cowboy's side the whole way through his recovery keeping him company in his own quiet soulful way. They are best buds and lucky for Cows, Mr. Hound excels at commiserating and moping. Hang in there, Mr. Pokey Nose! We'll make it through together one step at a time.

Cowboy at Piedmont Park

Cowboy at Grant Park

Out and about with Oliver

Checking out the ducks

Let's go!

HUGE thanks to Dr. Cochran and everyone at DeKalb Animal Services for their work, Friends of DeKalb Animals, and See Spot Rescued for making Cowboy's heartworm treatment possible. If you'd like to donate to either of these groups so that they can continue to rescue and fund heartworm positive dogs like Cowboy, links to their websites are below.

FODA: http://friendsofdekalbanimals.com/

SSR: https://www.facebook.com/seespotrescued/app_190322544333196

Howdy, Cowboy!

Meet our newest foster dog: Cowboy Cody! Cowboy is a male German Shepherd mix. He weighs just about 45 pounds and could stand to gain another 5 or so. The shelter thinks he's a full grown adult, maybe 1-2 years old. His teeth, eyes, ears, and coat look great. Cowboy was turned in to DeKalb County Animal Services by a citizen who found him near Stone Mountain on November 28, 2012. The shelter staff named him Cowboy and it seems to suit him really well. He needed something a little extra, so we came up with Cody because that was Buffalo Bill's real last name. He kind of looks like a coyote, so naming him after the king of the Wild West seemed appropriate.


The shelter vet just neutered Cowboy today, so we haven't seen much of his personality yet since he's so groggy. He threw up in the car on the way home and has been sleeping in the living room ever since. He should feel better tomorrow. We introduced all three of our dogs who range from 10 to 50 pounds and it went very well. Nobody had issues, least of all Cowboy. He just laid there and let them sniff him. I'm curious to see how the dynamics between them develop as he begins to feel better.

Cowboy is a very sweet guy. He is really comfortable around people and he loves belly rubs. Unfortunately, Cowboy is heartworm positive. Thanks to Friends of DeKalb Animals and See Spot Rescued, he will be treated while resting comfortably with us. Once he is recovered and heartworm-free, Cowboy will go on transport to See Spot Rescued in Jersey City, NJ where he will wait for his forever home. This is the same group that rescued Barkley and we are so excited and grateful that they think Cowboy is awesome, too! Stay tuned to hear much more about Cowboy as he feels better. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these photos that show just how gorgeous this boy really is! If you are interested in adopting Cowboy once his heartworm treatment is complete, please email seespotrescued@gmail.com

Oliver's Moment of Truth

Today is a super important day for Oliver: he had his six month heartworm test. I can't believe it has been six whole months since our buddy went through his treatment! I have to admit, I had a few butterflies in my stomach as Oliver and I sat waiting at the vet this morning. Fortunately, my nerves were quickly put to rest when the vet tech appeared and officially declared Ollie HEARTWORM NEGATIVE! Ollie could immediately tell how excited I suddenly was. With his tail wagging and a smile on his face, he was more than happy to receive a congratulatory head scratch. Our dogs get routine heartworm tests done every year during their annual exams at the vet, but this was different. This test was Oliver's moment of truth, the outcome of his perseverance, the greatest and final hurdle on his journey to conquer his past. He prevailed. Oliver has gotten a fresh start in life and it is so wonderful to see how far he's come since we picked him up from the shelter on December 7th. This dog runs, plays tug of war, lounges on the couch, and knows he is loved every minute of every day. Now he has a clean bill of health to add to this list of great things, a list every dog in the world deserves to have.
 

CONGRATULATIONS, OLIVER!

Oliver: 6 Weeks!

Well, we've made it! It's been six weeks since Oliver's heartworm treatment and he has done wonderfully. At the six month mark, Oliver will be tested for HW again and the results should be negative. Of course, we hope he will be well settled in with his forever family by then. In the meantime, I am happy to report that Ollie is out of the woods. Let the training, playing, and search for an adoptive family begin!

Ollie went to the Piedmont Park dog park this past weekend. He finally got to roam off-leash amongst all the other dogs. He played a little bit here and there, but mostly just walked the fence line by himself. He seemed to be happy just observing and enjoying the freedom of the outdoors. I really have never met such a mellow dude. I think I'm going to make him an "Adopt Me" vest to wear next time we go out.

We stopped by AARF Pet Central and picked out a fancy new harness for Oliver on Sunday. It's a Kurgo Tru-Fit and it even came with a seatbelt attachment. It seems to suit him quite nicely. He doesn't pull at all, but I'm sure the harness is more comfortable for him on long walks. Plus, he looks so handsome wearing it!

Oliver has accumulated several nicknames since we've had him: Ollie, Olls, Olivard, Vard, Vards, Vardo, Mr. Vard, Olaf, Aardvard, and Olivander to name a few. He knows he's only allowed to get up on the guest bed, not ours or the couch or any other furniture. He's learning how to sit very well and knows that he's only supposed to chew on his busy bone if he's in his dog bed (as seen in the picture above). He doesn't beg, but he does counter surf. He knows where the goodies are and is tall enough to reach them. We're working on this...

When we brought Ollie home six weeks ago, his ears had this weird crusty business along the edges. The right ear was even missing its tip. I think it was from old fly strikes. He was picked up as a stray, so it's not a huge stretch of the imagination to think he may have spent a lot of time outside exposed to something like stable flies. We were given a medicated soap to use on them and did so every other day. Ollie was very patient with us even though we could tell it was uncomfortable for him. The med-wash eventually dissolved the crustiness away and now Oliver's ears are healed.

I'm just so glad that I have great things to report about Oliver. Going through his heartworm treatment was a little scary even though he was only super ill for five days; I had no experience with this beforehand and was nervous about the process. Now to be able to say we're in the clear is awesome. Oliver is a trooper! Hopefully we will have exciting adoption-related news to share soon.

Oliver: 4 Weeks

Today is a huge milestone for Oliver: it's been 4 weeks since the start of Ollie's HW treatment and he is doing great! In celebration of this, this morning we took Ollie for a leisurely walk around the lake at Stone Mountain. Considering the time he's spent recovering and the time he was at animal control, this was probably the first real walk Oliver's had in over a year. Needless to say, he loved every minute of it. He's a great walking partner and behaves very well when other dogs passed by on the trail. Now that he's out of the critical recovery period, we can start slowly helping him rebuild his strength. He's in excellent spirits and we can tell that he's looking forward to more exercise and social time.

Oliver has let more of his personality show since he's been feeling better, but he is still very much the laidback mellow guy I described in my earlier post. He had his 30 day treatment today, which is just an orally administered drug that will finish off the baby heartworms and eggs. He was an excellent patient and we couldn't be more pleased with how well he's doing. In just two more weeks, Oliver will be able to start looking for a forever home!

Oliver - Our Very First Foster Dog

I have been working closely with a rescue group for over a year and we decided to coordinate our first dog adoption fair in October. I wanted all the dogs from our group to be present, but I also wanted to bring several from our county's animal control facility for the day to get them some fresh air and exposure in hopes of adoption. Oliver was among the six dogs we brought with us that day. These are the pictures we took of him at the adoption fair:

Oliver is a 5-6 year old 40 pound Lab/Hound mix who was picked up as a stray by an AC officer. He spent one year and 27 days at the county facility. It became clear the day we had him at our adoption fair that the only reason he hadn't been adopted was because he had tested positive for heartworms. Heartworms are very expensive to treat and the recovery is not easy. For a shelter dog, a HW+ status is an enormous obstacle to overcome.

None of the pound pups were adopted that day and we were faced with the sad task of returning everyone to the shelter. Drew had absolutely fallen in love with Oliver and was heartbroken to leave him behind. He was so quiet and well-behaved all day and had nothing but friendly kisses for anyone who approached him. His gentle spirit left an impression on Drew that didn't fade in the months to come as all five other dogs were eventually rescued or adopted and poor Oliver remained.

We poured our hearts into networking and spreading the word about Oliver to everyone we know, hoping to find a connection that would lead to a foster home, adoptive home, or HW treatment. Any of those options would be a step in the right direction. Our efforts to give Oliver a voice were not in vain; a local rescue group managed to find a vet and raise the funds for several of the HW+ dogs at the county shelter to be treated. Oliver was included in their selection. Things were finally looking up for this guy who had waited so long for a shot at a second chance.

While we were completely thrilled that Oliver was going to be treated, we knew there was more to be done for him. Recovery from heartworm treatment is a long and slow process that is very hard on a dog's system; Oliver needed a foster home where he could rest comfortably. Drew and I decided to put aside our fears of fostering and step up for this sweethearted boy.

We picked Oliver up from the county facility on the day he received his second Immiticide injection. Amazingly, he didn't seem to be feeling too badly. He wasn't at all sore, so we were able to give him a much needed bath. He was a perfect gentleman and seemed happy to be getting some TLC.

He had a great first weekend and gave us no trouble at all. He was in good spirits and we had an easy time keeping him calm and quiet. Drew and I couldn't believe how smoothly he fit into our household. Bunkin didn't seem to mind his presence at all and while Flea was fairly disgruntled, there was really no major grief caused by adding a third dog to our herd. Our house was quiet, we were able to relax and stick to our regular schedules, and there were no dog fights. This was nothing short of amazing.

We had picked Oliver up on a Wednesday and by Sunday evening, he finally started to feel pretty ill. Coughing, labored breathing, loss of appetite, and complete exhaustion set in. The poor guy was having a hard time, but he was so good about resting quietly and staying calm. We used the elevator to take him downstairs for brief potty breaks so he didn't have to exert himself on the stairs. Drew made him chicken and rice and hand fed it to him so that he would have something in his stomach. He finished all of his medications and began to feel better by the second weekend in our home.

While we were out of town for Christmas, Ollie stayed with a rescue friend of ours who also has a soft spot for him. He did wonderfully with her and had no trouble fitting in with her two larger dogs. By the time we came back, it had already been 3 weeks since his treatment. Halfway to healthy! Once Ollie reaches the 4 week mark, we can start slowly rebuilding his strength. I know he is so desperately looking forward to being able to go for a real walk and play with little buddies, Bunkin and Flea.

I cannot adequately convey exactly how good Ollie is. I want to say Oliver will make a wonderful family dog someday, but the truth is he's already done just that. He's house trained, he's crate trained, he's friendly with other dogs of all sizes, he loves people, and I'm sure he would be excellent with children. He loves lounging in his dog bed and getting brushed. We've only heard him bark twice. He is perfectly content to either sleep silently in his crate all night or in his dog bed on the floor next to our bed. He isn't destructive in the least; I feel more comfortable leaving him loose in the house alone than my own dogs. He would love a house with a yard, I'm sure, but he hasn't had the slightest issue adjusting to apartment living. Oliver is just so laid-back and easygoing. He wants nothing more than to please his people and to be loved in return.

As I sit here typing this, Oliver is stretched out on the bed behind me happy as a clam. Drew and I thought it would be difficult to keep our house quiet enough to serve as a hospital for Ollie's recovery, but the truth is he's made it easy for us. Canceling holiday parties and adjusting our morning routines have been such small prices to pay for being able to play a role in this sweet boy's journey. Once he is officially rid of his heartworms, Oliver will be available for adoption. While we know it will be painful to let him go, it will be wonderful to see him find a great forever home. Stay tuned for the second half of Ollie's story...