Successful
Rescue Stories
Mac
and Zipper:
Two
Senior Rescue
Littermates
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Mac
and Zipper, eleven year
old littermates,
came into
the NABTW rescue program
when
their breeder/owner was moved†to†an†assisted†care†facility.
Both dogs needed major dental work
for multiple infected teeth. They
were fostered
and returned to healthy conditions
by Cindy Peebles and Betsy Kirkpatrick
who had them for six months. During
that time, NABTW determined that the
two dogs should be adopted as a pair
as neither had been without the other
their entire lives.
They
were adopted by David
Boiano and his wife, Kathy,
who found them on the
Internet. They had recently euthanized
their first Border Terrier, Fritz,
due to poor health. Fritz
had been in four
homes and was adopted by the Boianos
in his senior years as well. At
first, they were leery
of adopting, not one,
but two senior dogs again. However,
they realized that being seniors
and needing to be adopted
as a pair, they
would be difficult to adopt out.
Most people wanting rescues
do not want a
senior dog, let alone two. David
continued to check the
rescue page hoping to
see
that the two had been adopted. When
they had not been, they decided
to contact Cindy and Betsy
and open their hearts
and their home to Mac and Zipper.
Now
the next obstacle was
to get the dogs to the
Boianos. Because
his work
schedule did not permit him to
make the 10 hour drive
from upstate New
York to Lynchburgh, Virginia,
Cindy made
the trip to Pennsylvania so that
the two could get to their new
home sooner.
When
David and Kathy met up
with Mac and Zipper, the
two dogs quickly
approached
them as if they knew them. When
it came time to load them up
for the
trip home,
Mac and Zipper got right into
their carriers. They slept the
whole way
to their new homes. It did not
take long
for the two to become attached
to their new owners and settle
in.
When David
leaves for work, he hears their
mournful chorus; Zipper leading
the howl and
Mac singing "back up." The
prancing, dancing greeting they
give David and Kathy when they
come home
is familiar to us all. There
isn't a day goes by that David
is not thankful
that they adopted them. In fact,
they feel sorry for the people
who passed
the opportunity to take them
before them because they were
seniors or
because
there were two. They certainly
do not regret their decision
even thought
the
Boianos' time with Mac and Zipper
might not be as long as it would
have been
with a younger dog. Whatever
time they get with these two
has already
been
wonderful and they truly enjoy
the time they do have with them
Maggie:
Another
Senior Rescue
Story With
a Happy Ending
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Maggie
is a 12 year old Border
Terrier that was surrendered
to a local pound
by her previous owner. She had separation
anxiety and barked constantly in the
shelter. Marg Pough was able to provide
her with foster care for many months.
She was in very poor health at the
time she was admitted to
the NABTW rescue
program. She had a history of food
allergies, thyroid problems
and seizures. In addition
she broke with a severe case of Clostridium
difficle diarrhea, which luckily responded
to antibiotics. After switching her
to a readily available salmon and
rice
commercial diet she stopped itching.
It took four months to titrate her
phenobarbitol down and her
thyroid levels up into
therapeutic ranges. But once her thyroid
levels were correct she began to grow
hair on both her tail and her back.
Maggie
was accepted into Marg's
pack with no problems,
and learned to accept
a crate as a secure place where
barking was not necessary,
and that "dumpster
diving" was not acceptable.
She was taken on long walks with
a friend's
large dogs. In Marg's care, Maggie
blossomed and the barking diminished
except at
meal times? where her LOUD bark
can still be heard. Genie Hurme
had spoken
to Marg some years ago, when looking
for a rescue dog. Last fall, her
rescue Fox Terrier died, and she
called Marg
again. Genie came and met Maggie,
and when her health and medications
were
stabilized, she took Maggie on a
trial basis when Marg went off to
a weekend
show in February. "Queen Margaret" aka
Maggie, never came back. Getting
Maggie made Genie decide to buy
a house instead
of moving into another apartment.
After 8 months on the good diet,
and with
thyroid levels in therapeutic ranges,
Maggie now has a healthy coat and
healthy ears. She and Genie are
both enjoying
their new home.