Update

11/24/2010
We are sad to share the news that Bo, a chocolate lab, passed over the Rainbow Bridge today.
Thank you Jessica and Karl for opening your hearts and your home for Bo. He had a tough life, and you most definitely made his last years happy and loved.

Hope for a senior dog now named “Bo”

A chocolate lab dog, well…we named him Charlie, was tied up at the end of a driveway out in the country. It had been raining a lot during this time, so poor Charlie was wet & muddy; the owner of the house didn’t notice him till possibly the next day. The only thing that Charlie had was a letter that had been placed in a plastic bag with a small amount of information about him, but it never mentioned his name.

The letter stated that he was a good dog that was friendly, he’s 12 years old, neutered, deaf & has never bit anyone. He had been hit by a car 3 years ago & that is why he limps. The note mentioned that the previous lady that had owned the dog, their mother in law, had ended up in a nursing home & that they had kept the dog for awhile but only allowed him out of a crate twice a day to go to the bathroom & that they didn’t want him because they traveled a lot. (I often wonder how their elderly mother who already had to leave her home & dog would feel to know the truth that they dumped her dog out in the country without so much a thought of knowing whether he would be ok or worse; coyotes could have attacked & killed him. ) The owner of the house, a big animal lover contacted me to see if I could help with finding him a home….I knew in my heart that it would be tough because of his age.

A few weeks later, Charlie was placed in the Ark Section of the Herald News to find his new home. I had an inquiry on him that morning from a wonderful & loving family that was touched by Charlie’s story. They have a choc lab, Tara that is 15 years old & looks so much like Charlie. Well…Karl & Jessica adopted Charlie on February 28, 2009 & changed his name to “Bo”.

Read their write up below about how Bo has adapted & how much they are already crazy about him.

I am so thankful for caring people like Karl & Jessica who was willing to open their heart & home for a senior dog like Bo & to give him the love that he deserves for the remainder of his life.

Liz Bagley, President/Founder

Dear Liz,
Bo is doing great and adjusting very quickly. Most people said we were crazy to adopt a 12 year male dog, with a lame hind leg, bad teeth, and deaf/mute. All you have to do is take one look in his eyes to know what a wonderful dog he is. Even though he has several disabilities, they are also part of what makes him so special. The fact that he is deaf means that he just has to see your face to communicate with you. If he begs too much (for a treat or a walk) all you have to do is turn and look away from him and he understands that he is doing something wrong. It’s amazing how he has been able to adapt. His lame hind leg makes it difficult for him to get up from a sitting/laying down position, but he loves to go for walks. He actually prefers running! Stairs are still a bit of a challenge for him mostly because he is scared of them. He has gone up and down the stairs, so we know that he can do it, but it’s very difficult for him some times, so we just pick him up and carry him (I think he likes that!). Eating was also challenging because he has lost several teeth. He is not a fan of hard kibble type food, so we have made some adjustments to what we feed him. He loves rice with chicken and sits at Jessie’s feet in the kitchen while she is making it for him. But next week the vet will be cleaning his remaining teeth and we hope to start getting him trained on regular dog food. Speaking of the vet, he has a good heart and no major health problems to be concerned of. He wasn’t a fan of going to the vet, but we were all glad to hear that he is basically very healthy (especially for his age). Our other dog (Tara – 15 year old chocolate lab) is slowly warming up to Bo, but she does get jealous when he gets a little too much attention from us. Can you blame her? She has had the run of the house for the last 6 years! They do love going for walks together and now she has a partner to help her beg for treats/walks. We learn more about Bo every day. This morning we found out that he can catch treats in the air really well! If you toss one to him, he gets it every time. Bo hasn’t figured out the game of ball yet though (which is a little sad, most dogs love to play ball). When we play ball with Tara, he watches us very quizzically and wonders why she runs around after a little yellow ball that isn’t food. We’re sure he’ll pick up on ball playing soon enough. I have included several pictures that you can feel free to post if you want to. You will notice one picture with his ear up and tongue out. That is what he looks like when he’s fast asleep taking a nap on the living room floor! We can’t believe that someone would abandon him in the manner that they did. He is such a cute and happy dog, even through all of the challenges that he has faced. He has found a good home here with us and we know he will enjoy his senior years in a good home.

Karl and Jessica