A very old stray {The Old Fella Story}

[Dixie_Flyer]

Went camping this weekend at a campground on the lake, had not been there for a few years. Once there I began to walk around looking at the different sites when I noticed a very old dog. He just lay there until I got too close then he got up on three legs and hobbled away. Just judging I would say he is at least 11 years old. Well back to my story. The next afternoon he wanders into camp and just sits there looking. He looked so sad, so the wife got a bowl of our dog's food and put it down for him and he came over and ate. He then walked over to our dog and the two of them sniffed each other over and then they lay down together for the rest of the afternoon. That night he disappeared.
The next morning he was back and was a little more receptive of me. I looked at his injured leg and found that half of his rear foot was gone. It had healed and was not causing any problem except that he was walking on the stub that was left with no foot pad which causes him to limp. His front teeth were gone except for one canine tooth and it looked decayed. His eyes were tired looking and showing his age. He spent the rest of the day just laying around looking for a handout and by afternoon the campground host came around and saw him. I enquired about the dog and was told he had been there for three years and that most of the campers were tolerant of him and gave him food.
So what to do? Do you pick him up and bring him home or do you let nature take it course. He can't harm anyone, he has no teeth and he isn't a nuisance unless you don't like dogs, and no one seems to mind him being there. He is gentle and likes other animals as seen by his interaction with our dog. He still would not let me touch him but he would eat from my hand. Enough said, what would you do???

On June 28th 2008 Old Fella passed away of complications caused by bone cancer. Fella spent almost three years with his new family and became the icon of rescued old stray dogs. He will be greatly missed but his foot prints have been left in our hearts forever.

Now Charlie, the ten year old rescued Golden Lab has come to be a part of the continuing Old Fella story. (*Note, Charlie took his journey to Rainbow Bridge unexpectedly September 30, 2008)Suzie continues to charm her way into our hearts with her antics as she has grown from a puppy into a young lady. Togther they will carry on the Old Fella legacy. Come join us in their daily lives and be a part of the best feel good thread in RV.NET history. The legacy lives on.


HIghways Article Puppy Love

Old Fella Burke County Animal Rescue

[chrisnpat]

Dixie Flyer wrote:

chrisnpat wrote:
Clairs a big puppy, have any idea what breed (breeds) she is? Shes pretty with that black muzzle.

The vet seemed to think she had some Chow in her. She is a real sweet girl and loves attention.

I thought she looked like she had some chow (with the black spot on her tongue). My son had a Chow mix that looks just like Clair. I'm glad she is trainable, that will make a big difference when she is ready to be adopted. Sounds like she just needs a little structure and lots of TLC. 🙂

[Dixie_Flyer]

chrisnpat wrote:
Clairs a big puppy, have any idea what breed (breeds) she is? Shes pretty with that black muzzle.

The vet seemed to think she had some Chow in her. She is a real sweet girl and loves attention.

[Dixie_Flyer]

What we have are two dominant female dogs, Suzie and Claire. There has been a lot of posturing going on in the back yard between the two of them. When I first saw what was going on I put Claire on her side and let Suzie come and stand over her and I held her down until she was submissive. That lasted about an hour and so I had to go through the process over again. Claire has found out she can bully Peaches so I had to take that matter in hand as well.
This morning I put the shock collar on Claire and every time she would try to dominate Peaches I would activate the buzzer on the collar which caused her to back off. I won’t use the shock unless it becomes absolutely necessary. Claire is starved for affection and wants all of my attention and is jealous of Peaches and Suzie, but in time it will all work out.
Now for the surprise, Claire is house broken and is used to having her way about the house. She lets me know when she needs to go outside and loves the bed in the back bedroom. She will jump on the bed and position the pillows until she is satisfied and then she lies down with them surrounding her. She spent the night in the kennel cage without a whimper and was ready to go out this morning with the other girls. Once business was taken care of they all came back in for breakfast. Kibble and Bits seems to be to her liking. I have been buying an expensive dog food for Suzie and she hasn’t been very fond of it, so this morning I gave her Kibbles and Bits and she loved it, go figure….

Claire is a nice dog and I hope she will find a great home. She is so attentive to what is happening around her and looks for approval with every move. She follows me about the house touching my hand with her nose just so I will know she is there. I cannot tell you the joy that comes from fostering a beautiful companion dog and they are all beautiful in their own way.

[Dixie_Flyer]

The pictures make her look bigger than she is. She weighs 47 pounds and is just a bit taller than Suzie, its the fur coat that makes her look large.

[chemisd]

Claire is a beauty!

[joelbaker]

Claire looks like a big shed-o-matic! I bet she will make a wonderful pet for a lucky family! Looks like she's got some Chow in her.

[chrisnpat]

Clairs a big puppy, have any idea what breed (breeds) she is? Shes pretty with that black muzzle.

[Dixie_Flyer]

Her name is Claire and she is about 6-8 months old. Clair was taken to the city dog pound about two months ago where she caught the mange.

I took her from the dog pound to Dr. Ford's where she stayed a month undergoing treatment. She is now healthy with a beautiful coat of fur. She is very sweet and gets along great with Suzie and Peaches.

She has had all of her shots and she has been spayed. Claire is now ready for adoption and looking for her forever home. Claire is humble and loves to be around people. She has had a rough start in life, but now is getting her second chance.

[Dixie_Flyer]

We have a new foster, her name is Claire. She is a sweet little girl with such a sad story. I have to run out for a little while to do some errands but when I get back I will post some pictures and tell you about her.

[SGTJOE]

Richard, I don't understand how a person can harm a defenceless animal. I am glad the little guy will be alright. If the lady knows who done this I hope the authorities pursue prosecution to the fullest extent. In my state of Utah they passed a law making it a felony to those who choose to harm animals. I hope your state has the same type of penalty. Thank you for helping. The remark about the look from the dog as he looked at one of the inmates was wonderful. The guy couldn't be too bad if the dog showed that kind of attention towards him. God Bless you for all that you do.

[Dixie_Flyer]

Last night about seven I got a phone call from a frantic lady telling me her neighbor just shot her little dog in the head and needed medical care immediately. Dr. Ford’s office had been closed since 5:30 so there was nothing to do but wait until this morning and be at the Vet’s office when the doors opened. I prayed that the little dog would survive the night and be with us this morning to receive the help it needed.

I met the lady at Dr. Ford’s office and examined the dog for myself and discovered there was an entrance wound just above the right ear and an exit wound just under the ear in the neck. After Dr. Ford examined the little dog it was determined not to be serious and nothing to worry about. Bruce and myself went to the sheriff’s department to get a copy of the incident report so it could be turned over to the right people hoping the man would be arrested and tried in court for animal cruelty. I don’t understand people when things like this happen.

When I went to the Waynesboro animal shelter this morning to get a number off a rabies tag of a dog that had just come into the system I was greeted with barks and yelps from the dogs housed there wanting to get out and go for their walk. The inmates had just arrived to clean out the pens and feed and water the dogs when I noticed how one particular dog looked at one of the inmates. It was a look I had seen many times before from Fella. It brought tears to my eyes to see so much love coming from an animal whose only crime was, no one wanted it.

[Dixie_Flyer]

Grillmeister wrote:
I have been watching pretty close so I don't think I missed it. Did "Bullet" ever find a home?

Maybe today will be his day, I hope so.

[Grillmeister]

I have been watching pretty close so I don't think I missed it. Did "Bullet" ever find a home?

[joang]

Wow, that's a heck of a waist Peaches has now! What a blessing for her and her long term health! Dixie, if you think Suzie's car sickness is anxiety, it should be easy enough to treat in time with a lot of exposure to cars and treats, and cars and short field trips to fun places. Obviously, she's made the mental connection that one specific vehicle equals fun trips and has learned not to be afraid of the beige truck, perhaps a lot of getting in other people's cars and having a treat, or trips to the park and back should help her have more good experiences with cars than the bad ones. Maybe in a few months, she won't be puking at all! Getting in a car will be just one more thing on her list of fun things to do in a day!

[Dixie_Flyer]

Cindy I am looking forward to the Ohio Rally in June. This will be a great time to celebrate and look back on all of the events that have taken place in the last three years. Old Fella would be proud to know all that is happening.

His spirit will live on forever and champion the cause of all of the old strays that are homeless. What a great journey he has taken us on and continues to show us there is still work to be done. I am also looking forward to seeing old friends once again.