On Saturday a beautiful and young golden retriever was abandoned at the SPA and today he was adopted! Yes, sometimes it can be that quick. Providing we have a contract stating that the owners are surrendering their dog, there is no need to look for the owners, and hence no need for a dog to wait 10 days. Moreover this dog, Houshous, had everything going for him. Young, fine with other dogs, fine with children and fine with cats. Needless to say we had many people keen to adopt him.
We are delighted that he has gone to live with people we know well; a family of keen volunteer dog walkers who are great supporters of the SPA. Sometimes dedication pays off; Fabrice and his family had no plans to adopt a fifth (yes, 5th) dog when they came to help out on Saturday, but when they saw Houshous they decided that they had room for one more. Yesterday compatibility was tested during the open day and today the adoption was made official.
We are delighted for Houshous of course, whilst at the same time being a bit sad for the other dogs who wait for months or even years at the SPA because they are not as instantly attractive. They deserve homes too!
It also shows why, if you do need to separate from your dog, it is far better to provide as much information about his behaviour and preferences as possible. That helps the SPA find the best home as quickly as possible.
In not-so-good news, following the disappearance of All Black on Friday, two more recently adopted dogs have gone missing today. Like All Black, both dogs are very nervous (both are from the Ste Eulalie dog-hoarding affair), and they went missing within hours of each other from their respective homes. Ondine is missing in Fenouillet de Razes and Boss in Carcassonne.
A blog on how to look after nervous dogs is being prepared as we speak. However the bottom line is if you have a dog like this please take great care. A moment’s inattention is all it takes for a dog to go missing. It is cold outside and it is heartbreaking to think of these dogs out there despite having loving homes who are desperate for their return.
Houshous – ADOPTED after 2 days!
Ondine and Boss are both missing.
Just a thought that crossed my mind… Were the missing dogs near their old homes or could they have crossed sme one known to them?
Just a thought… as coincidences and the like are strange.
Another word, we are the adoptive family of Doudounette, XBoxer, with Leichmaniose, history of cancer, who spent last summer in the hospital wing, not supporting heat..
She couldn’t even climb the steps to the office when she came to us. A warning that she only had a month, maybe more, to live… we offered ger comfort for her last days, so we supposed…
She’s now running found the garden, playing tag with our 2 other much smaller, dogs, and going up and down the stairs to share the bedroom with out problem (I did put non slip rubber on them, it helps, with 2 face scotch).
I changed her diet to raw meat, rice and fruit and veg, twice a day, as well as our 2 other dogs, instead of tins or dry kibble. Added cumin, coconut oil, fish oil, and a few other “health aids”, so I don’t know if it’s helped, but it’s not worse, and I know what they’re eating now. Also, a fact which surprised me, it works out quite a bit cheaper than good quality, or, I reckon, even low quality, ready-made dog food.
The dogs all love it, although I do give Doudou the bigger part of her ration in the morning so I can get an undisturbed night’s sleep! She has an appetite quite incredible, in fact I think she’d eat non-stop, if I let her!
I don’t regret adopting a dog with Leichmaniose one minute. It’s an illness controlled with Allopurinol twice a day, not expensive, effective, and it just slips in her food. For the time being, no rechutes, and it”s well supported by most dogs.
She did still have a mouth infection and really bad breath at first, but a course of Birodogyl got rid of both for the time being.
She’s now settled, obedient, happy, playful and friendly.
Until a couple of weeks ago I thought, as she’d had a cancer, she couldn’t bark.
Lo and behold, one morning I was woken by a timid unknown “wouf’, and she’s found her voice. Not often, but she has a nice voice when she lets us hear her.
Yet another mystery around Doudou, which will never be solved.
I do love her having enough confidence to wake me with a deep “WOUF”, though.
Thank you for sharing that! Very interesting. Congratulations on your results. Do you by any chance practise Reiki or anything similar?
Kind Regards,