Happy Tail: Brewster!

Brewster, now named Wilbur, found his forever home yesterday! Hurray! Thanks SO much to FODA and Delaware County SPCA in Pennsylvania for helping this big ole mushmallow get adopted. Paws up!

Brewster: Just Passing Through!

Hi, I'm Brewster!

This beautiful boy is going by the name of Brewster for the next 36 hours. Brewster's hanging out with us until he goes on transport with Friends of DeKalb Animals on Saturday. He's heading to a rescue group in Pennsylvania. When the shelter is at max capacity like it was today, every single cage matters. So, Brewster gets to be comfy for the next two nights and a lucky dog at the shelter gets to take his open space in adoptions. Hurray!

Who's that handsome fella in the mirror?

Brewster is mega sweet and mellow. While we won't get to see his full personality over such a short time, it's obvious that he's going to make somebody a great dog. I don't know anything about his story, but he's about 70 pounds (a little skinny under all that fur) and I think he might be a Great Pyrenees/Lab mix or something like that. He's gorgeous. He's got some stains that a good brightening shampoo might be able to lift, but overall he looks like he was well cared for at some point.

Check out my awesomely fluffy tail!

If you love the fact that Brewster is now safe and another dog gets to avoid euthanasia, PLEASE donate to Friends of DeKalb Animals. They're the ones who make ALL OF THIS possible! It costs FODA $175 to vet and transport a dog; they rescue anywhere from 50-100 animals EACH MONTH. FODA gives the homeless pets at DeKalb County Animal Services HOPE. Brewster and so many others just like him are alive and happy because of FODA's dedication. Here is the link to their paypal page: http://friendsofdekalbanimals.com/how-to-donate/

Paws up for Brewster and FODA!

Oliver's Houndiversary

Exactly one year ago today, Drew and I brought Oliver home from DeKalb County Animal Services. He had been at the shelter for a year and 27 days. There are only a handful of dogs that the shelter staff has managed to hang onto for such a long time. Ollie was a staff favorite and I cannot adequately thank the caring people at DeKalb who gave him such an extended reprieve. I'm not going to rehash all the details of Oliver's story (if you don't know his whole story, check out my previous blog posts). I just want to make a quick little blurb about how much we love this gentle soul and how thankful we are that he is in our lives. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the folks at the shelter, to Friends of Dekalb Animals for treating his heart worms, and to everyone who donated for his dental care/leg x-rays/arthritis care while we were fostering him. Happy Houndiversary, Oliver!

Total FURmination

Shedding sucks. It drives me crazy. Until Oliver came along, I'd had only short-haired dogs for the past ten years or so. When I was a kid we had a Husky and a Rottie/Lab/Shepherd mix, both of which shed tremendously, but I guess the tumbleweeds of fur rolling around never made an impression on me back then since I wasn't the one who had to clean them up. Oliver reminded me just how annoying shedding can be.

We try to keep a very clean house. Drew really stays on top of everything and specifically makes certain to vacuum every 3-4 days. Doing so with short-haired dogs isn't a problem at all. Anybody out there reading this who has ever had a Lab knows that we're talking about an entirely different level of shedding. Ollie's fur was killing our poor vacuum. All three dogs get baths each Sunday in the spare tub; we were going through a large jug of Drano every other week. Dog hair was taking over our lives.

Then we bought the Furminator. Everything changed. No more tumbleweeds, no more drain clogging, no more fur-coated dryer lint screen. I was skeptical that this simple little tool would be worth its $50 sticker price and reduce Ollie's shedding, but I am here to attest that the Furminator is worth its weight in gold. The first time we used it, we'd filled a grocery bag with Oliver hair in less than 30 minutes. A week later, I spent 45 minutes and filled another grocery bag. Not joking.

After using the Furminator just twice, Oliver's coat is smoother, shinier, softer, and comparatively shed-free. Hardly any fur came off of him at all the last time I gave him a bath. I don't think there's been such an awesome dog product since KONG toys first came out forever ago. The Furminator is simply unbelievable. It saved us from a tidal wave of dog hair and gives Oliver some relief from his uber shedding double coat. If your dog is a serious shedder, give this thing a try. Just be sure to use a regular brush to gently comb out any knots before using the Furminator. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Oliver's Home Forever

Well, Oliver's adoption story has come to an end. I started to type, "an unexpected end", but then I remembered that this is the sort of outcome we were concerned about all along. So I suppose it isn't entirely surprising to sit here and type a post on how we came to adopt Oliver.

About a week ago, I decided to part ways with the rescue group I'd been involved with for the last two years. We had two options: either leave Oliver with the group or break our foster agreement and adopt him ourselves. While the situation didn't play out exactly the way I'd hoped it would, it wasn't a difficult decision to sign Oliver's adoption contract.

 

Ollie has been with us for six months and he has settled in so well. During all of this time, the few adoption prospects he had didn't pan out. Since we brought him home from the county shelter on December 7th, Oliver has been nothing short of a natural fit into our household. He has since overcome so many health obstacles, has bonded with Bunkin and Flea to form a happy little pack, and has gotten comfortable enough to allow himself to fully relax. After so much time and all of this, Drew and I both felt that it wouldn't be fair to Ollie to uproot him yet again. This sweethearted guy belongs with us. 

It's bittersweet, because I will always associate the addition of Oliver into our little family with the ugly end of my time with our rescue group. That hurts my heart, but it's neither here nor there. We will remain deeply involved in dog rescue and we will foster again for another group once I've settled into school. As far as I'm concerned, Oliver's adoption isn't a story of foster failure, but rather a huge success both for us and for him. Ollie is happy, healthy, and finally has a family who will truly love him forever. It just happened to be us.

Ollie's last day included many special treats

UPDATE 10/17/19: We let Oliver follow his best friend, Bunkin, over the bridge today. After spending eight wonderful years as part of our brown dog family, Ollie let us know he was tired and ready to go. We never knew - since day one - how long we'd have with Oliver, as he was kinda like that car you got with 100,000 miles on it that still ran perfectly well considering its history. We'd seen Oliver through heartworm treatment, knew he'd been hit by a car at some point and healed on his own, seen the effects of early arthritis, and addressed dental disease and other hard knocks. It's not like he ever acted a spring chicken, yet he always had that sparkle in his mischievous houndy eyes: hey guys, where's the food?

Absolute best buds for life

Looking back now on his younger photos from early on in our time with him, Oliver clearly seemed to have a lot more life to live. Let me tell you, he certainly did just that! This old guy, presumed elderly from the day we brought him into foster care, lived SO much life that it's almost unbelievable. This old Dekalb dog ran the breakers of California shores, hiked deep into Georgia wooded trails, road tripped to Florida many a time, and breathed the snowy air of mountainous Oregon. This hound lived his best life. I feel like I need to make him a whole new post, but the truth is he was the people's dog before he was ours. Y'all already know him so well - this is just a eulogy. I've said it all along: Ollie is the best dog I've ever had and the best dog I'll ever have - he is just so special. I've had a whole lot of dogs since bringing him home, guys, and I stand by this statement til the cows come home. Peaceful, loyal, huggable, lovable, squeezable, cuddly, squishy, lovey - these are just some of the bazillion adjectives you could use to describe our boy. Fat, brown, round, and houndy are our words of choice. Oliver stood as an ambassador to SO many foster dogs over the years we had him - he truly became our "ice breaker" dog in the sense that he drew the line for entry level integration for so many pack members over the years...if a dog couldn't pass Oliver, he/she couldn't be part of our pack. Thank you, Ollie boy, for your service in this way. You showed so many homeless critters the way - how to DOG and how to meld into a pack of existing dogs. This beast lived his best life, and us alongside him. We're still finding Oliver hairs all over the house / our clothes and I'm sure the Roomba will continue to do so for many months to come.

BFFs

Bunkin and Oliver grew so close in the end - Drew and I rest more easily knowing that they're no longer without each other. In the end, his mobility got the best of him - Oliver no longer could take the stairs reliably to potty or eat, going up to bed proved a monumental challenge and accidents became a frequent occurrence. The day came that he could no longer stand without panting relentlessly and we knew he'd reached maximum discomfort despite his pain medications and steroids. Truth is, we were prepared for the end times since Day 1 of Oliver-hood. Every day, every month, every year with him was an incredible windfall. Geriatric from the start due to rough circumstances, this hound dog milked every ounce out of his secondhand life. We are so tremendously grateful we got to be his humans through the happy years. Run pain free, Oliver - catch up with your BFF Bunkin and enjoy the infinite meadows together. We love you so much and are so thankful to have you in our lives' memories.

Run free, our baby Hound! Best boy ever!

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 Goes on Vacation

A few weeks ago, we went to the mountains for what I'm going to call Oliver's very first vacation. Everyone thinks it's likely that Oliver belonged to someone in his previous life, which might explain why he's so darn well-behaved, but somewhere along the way he wound up leading a rough life full of nothing but neglect. So I'm going to go out on a speculative limb and say that I don't think he's ever had the luxury of going on vacation before. Maybe I'm wrong and Ollie had someone who loved him very much before he ended up at the shelter, but in any case it had at the very least been a long time since he'd had a good old fashioned getaway. So, needless to say, Mr. Olls enjoyed the dickens out of our little trip to the cabin. Sometimes even a good routine can become stressful; we're all too familiar with the "daily grind" concept. It was great to see Oliver and everyone else truly kick back and relax for a while. I think 5 days in the mountains is equivalent to 100 years worth of healing for the soul. Ollie seemed to agree.

The dogs spent most of their time snoozing in different spots and enjoying the mountain air from the safety of the screened porches. They hiked Amicalola Falls with us, barked at a group of white-tailed deer in the driveway, searched for yummy morsels dropped behind the grill, and tried toasted marshmallows straight from the fire. A good time was had by all.

 

Oliver gets some fresh air...

Now that Oliver is feeling so much better, we enjoy taking him out for nature walks. He has been with us to Stone Mountain, Amicalola Falls, Mason Mill Park, and Sweetwater Creek. Sweetwater is our favorite because of the beautiful scenery. While it's only a 30 minute drive, it makes us feel as though we've escaped the grind of the city completely. There are several trails to choose from and breathtaking views to enjoy. The dogs just love it. I am proud to report that Oliver recently completed a 7 mile hike with us at Sweetwater Creek! He even led the pack most of the time! He did great; I'm so glad to see him able to be more mobile. Of course, it was a very sleepy car ride back to Atlanta afterward.                          

                         

An Update on Oliver's Progress

It's been a week since we received the final word on Oliver's condition and I am happy to report that our lovable guy seems to be in better spirits. He's doing well on the carprofen (anti-inflammatory) so far. Right now he's taking two 55mg tablets per day, but we're hoping to eventually get him down to half of that for the long run. We picked up some great hip & joint health treats for him at AARF Pet Central made by the folks at Pet Naturals Vermont. He takes these twice each day.

Mr. Oliver is lucky enough to have a guardian angel. She is a wonderful person who has taken a special interest in Ollie and has helped make sure he is getting the best care possible. Oliver's friend sponsored him for three months and donated an arsenal of joint care supplies. Thanks to her, Ollie has a ready supply of Adequan, an expensive drug that helps protect the cartilage and keep it healthy. She even took the time to stop by my office and show me how to administer the Adequan injections properly.

Oliver didn't even seem to notice when I gave him his first shot last week. Today will be his second. He gets them once a week for the first month, then once a month after that. He is such a good boy and I am thrilled by the progress he's made already. His personality is brighter and he has more energy, indicating that his medicines and supplements have reduced his pain significantly. Oliver even felt well enough to go for a hike this past weekend. He did very well keeping up with everyone and I'm looking forward to continue helping him build his strength. We'll take it slow and monitor his progress closely. For now, we are all just so happy to see how much he's perked up already. Check out how happy he looks riding with the windows down in the morning sunshine...thanks to everyone who has helped him get to this point!

The Scoop on Oliver's Legs

I heard back from the vet today regarding Oliver's leg x-rays. The orthopedic surgeon confirmed that our poor Ollie has an old scarred over left cruciate rupture and degenerative joint disease. This is a condition that is very easy for humans to relate to: he's got an old ligament injury and now suffers from arthritis as a result. Contrary to what many people assume, arthritis isn't just for old folks, especially when it's linked to an injury. Oliver has the misfortune of being a merely middle aged dog with several years of worsening joint pain ahead of him.

The orthopedic surgeon has recommended exploratory arthroscopy to see if they need to stabilize the cruciate ligaments, if the maniscus needs to be trimmed away, and also if there are any bone fragments floating around. The estimated cost for an arthroscopy and the likely ensuing surgery to repair Oliver's ligaments is $2200 - $3000. This is obviously a very large financial burden for anyone to assume, let alone a non-profit rescue group like AARF. Not to mention there's a high likelihood that the money would be spent only to find out that the ligaments cannot be repaired due to the presence of scar tissue. Even if the surgery was successful and Oliver endured a miserable 3 month recovery, degenerative joint disease is something that cannot be fixed. This is a lifelong problem that will only worsen over time.

After speaking with the vet, Drew, and everyone at AARF, our decision is to forgo surgery. Just like for human joint pain, there are many non-surgical options to pursue that will help Oliver with strength and pain management. I am going today to pick up an anti-inflammatory for him that the vet has prescribed. We'll diligently monitor his bloodwork and see how he does on it. Ollie will get to go shopping for joint supplements at AARF Pet Central this weekend; they have a large selection of supplements as well as food that contains glucosamine chondroitin. AARF also has connections with a canine swim therapy trainer. Swimming will help Oliver exercise his joints and the surrounding muscles gently.

These developments do not render Oliver unadoptable. While it will be very important to find him a well-matched adopter who is prepared to care for his issues properly, Ollie should still have a long and happy life. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed toward his vet appointment last week. With your help, we know exactly what we're dealing with and can now begin to pursue treatment for Oliver. Stay tuned for more updates on Oliver's health, treatment, and other exciting news to come! 

Oliver's Dental

Ollie had his dental procedure on Tuesday. The vet pulled FIVE incisors all from the bottom front row, leaving him with a semi-toothless grin. He was a bit dopey from the anesthesia and pain medicine, but he did very well and now has a healthy mouth. It's so important to make sure that your dog's teeth are well taken care of: dirty teeth and diseased gums can lead to major health problems and infection that spreads throughout a dog's entire body. Oliver's stitches will dissolve on their own and he will feel better than ever in no time flat.

We are still waiting to find out about his back legs. The vet had x-rays taken while Ollie was under so that they would come out nice and clear without him moving. She sent them to an orthopedic surgeon for further evaluation. This particular ortho has operated on AARF dogs in the past and we feel confident that he will know exactly what is going on with Oliver's legs. So we wait. In the meantime, here are some new pictures of Ollie showing how sleepy he was after his dental.

Oliver Goes to the Vet

Oliver's teeth are a mess. All of the front teeth on the top and bottom are ground down to the gum line. Most likely, this is from chewing on a chain at some earlier point in his life. The poor guy needs a good dental cleaning. This wasn't surprising, as all dogs should get a dental at least once accompanied by regular home maintenance. So Oliver went to the vet Monday night for his pre-dental exam. It was decided that he needs a rotten incisor extracted and possibly a back molar taken out, also.

While at the vet's office, I took the opportunity to mention a few other issues I'd noticed about Oliver since he really needed a thorough physical exam anyway. I showed the vet his ears, which are now mostly healed but still a little raw. She agreed that the scarring looks like old fly strikes, which makes even more sense if he was chained outside at some point. I told her Ollie's eyes have been a bit dry lately, which she attributed to our early spring this year. Nothing to worry about. Then I told the vet how his back legs seem funny. They just don't seem to have much range of motion. Oliver walks very stiffly, refuses to jump into the car, and falls on the stairs regularly as if he can't quite pick his back feet up high enough to make the next step.

These leg issues are not normal and it's more than just Ollie being a clumsy oaf (which he is). The vet said that his right kneecap is quite loose; she is concerned that the cruciate ligament behind the kneecap may be torn. They plan to palpate that area while he's under anesthesia for his dental.

The left leg is cause for even more concern. Ollie's femur is abnormally dense. I don't know how we missed it with all the baths he's had, but it feels obviously strange and larger than the right. The vet wants to do a series of x-rays while Oliver is under for his dental so that she can see what exactly is going on with this leg.

I'm trying so hard not to stress over it and think of the worst as I always do. I'm failing. Perhaps Oliver was hit by a car long ago and these issues are just the results of poorly healed injuries. Maybe he can be fixed up with a little pain medication for arthritis. It could be that simple, but what if it's not? Ollie could need surgery to repair his ligament if it's torn badly enough. His abnormal bone density could be cancer. The vet also found a tiny lump behind Oliver's ribcage. It could just be a cyst, but it could also be more cancer. There are so many "what ifs" and "could bes".

Oliver is scheduled for his dental and x-rays on Tuesday, March 6th. We will have to wait until then to learn anything further. It's going to be a long month, but at least it gives us some time for fundraising. The x-rays are pretty expensive and depending on what is wrong with Oliver's legs, there will likely be more costly procedures down the road. In the meantime, if you would like to help us and AARF fund Oliver's medical treatment, please contribute by using the ChipIn widget above. Oliver has overcome so many obstacles already. He deserves to be healthy and happy.

Oliver's Cat Test

Oliver had quite an interesting afternoon yesterday: he went to AARF Pet Central to be cat tested! It's important to know how Oliver behaves around cats in case a potential adoptive family includes some feline members. The same goes for children and other dogs, but we already know Ollie is great with both.

Fortunately, there are a few cats at AARF Pet Central that are very dog-friendly. Ben was happy to help us out:

Oliver was definitely interested, but only politely so. He didn't show any aggression toward Ben at all. Ollie even backed up and gave Ben some space as he walked by. After about 10 minutes of controlled curiosity, we determined that Oliver wasn't the least bit interested in doing anything rash. We are proud to report that Ollie has been deemed officially cat-friendly! This is great news; Ollie is much more likely to find a great home now that we can say he is good with children, other dogs, and even cats. What a marketable dude!

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...