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

[inpath]

Gentle Spirit - Another alternative for your in-door cats, especially if you don't want them to be on the ground with fleas and animals that want to check them out is the Kitty Kat Kabana that we use.

When we arrive at a place, we quickly erect the Kabana from its collapsed state and hang it on the outside of our window (the dining room window is the one we us). Then we leave the window open and the cats (we have two indoor cats also) know the motor home is parked for awhile and out they go to check out their new surroundings. They especially love it at night when they can enjoy their night vision. They do their thing, we do ours. We don't have to worry about them. Don't have to worry about them getting fleas, being bothered by animals or being bitten by insects and we don't have to worry about water, food or too much sun because they can just walk through the window when ever they want.

Check out the link below for more info.

[Dixie_Flyer]

dogdiva wrote:
RIchrd and Sue
I started Rving with 5 dogs, one of which was my paraplegic, WIllie. You will find a way. It was easy for me as I had fencing along the side of the rv and didnt have to walk each one seperately
I bet Mama and Hobo and Claire would love the adventure....

The problem we have is the cab of the ruck is too small for five dogs, especially two the size of Hobo and Mama. If we had a motorhome then it could be done, but that is not possible with our present situation. So its time to consider other avenues to solve our problem. While we are home the house and yard is large enough for everyone to have their own space and enjoy life. The routine I have for the dogs works great as far as eating, sleeping and playing. Each one has her own bed and designated eating station and at night when they come in each one goes to her own bed and bunks down. During the day Suzie and Claire spend most of their time outside playing while Mama and Peaches lounge around the house. Hobo is either in or out depending upon her whelm, but she will spend some time with Claire and Suzie, but mostly she hangs around with Mama.

Camping is the problem with the five furbabies and this summer we had planned three long trips of two weeks or more for each trip, so back to the drawing board.

[dogdiva]

RIchrd and Sue
I started Rving with 5 dogs, one of which was my paraplegic, WIllie. You will find a way. It was easy for me as I had fencing along the side of the rv and didnt have to walk each one seperately
I bet Mama and Hobo and Claire would love the adventure....

[Dixie_Flyer]

Hoops wrote:
We know Anna and Suzie's stories, any updates on the other 2?

Dixie went to live with the Dixon's here in Burke County. She has a wonderful home. Savannah was adopted by an older couple in the Augusta area. I have lost track of her after a while, but I bet she is living the life of a Queen.

[Hoops]

We know Anna and Suzie's stories, any updates on the other 2?

[Code2High]

First off, don't sell any of them short. Claire needs a home, she's a young dog, and she needs someone who can handle what sounds like a pretty dominant temperament. The good news is, those people do exist. You just haven't found hers yet.

Yes, Hobo may need a special home with a person that would work with her. No, she does not "have to" stay with Mama, and in fact due to their age disparity, at some point in her life she's going to have to learn to live without her. She might actually do a lot better without that crutch, especially if she had the right person with the right skills to build up her confidence and her experience. Sometimes that which we most fear is actually what we most need.


Mama herself has bonded with you, but if you found the "right" home for her, she'd bond with someone else as well. However, if you placed Hobo and Claire, that would leave you with three, which is a manageable number for a camping trip.

On the other hand if you keep the lot, you may need to come up with some different ways to arrange care for them when you go out of town. I know you've boarded Suzie any number of times due to her travel issues, but if you have more than one dog that needs to stay home, finding someone in the area who could care for them at your home, or possibly at their home, might be the more practical option. I will be more work... my trips always are, due to my menagerie... but it can be done. And once you get out there on the road, it is always worth the work, isn't it?

[Dixie_Flyer]

Sue and I have been discussing our current situation with five dogs. Camping is going to become more difficult if not impossible. Taking the joy out of something you love to do is like putting the death nail in the coffin and I am afraid we are there.

So let's look at the possibilities by name. Suzie: well Suzie isn't going anywhere as she has been here since she was an eight week old puppy and was Levi and Old Fella's baby girl. Peaches: Peaches belonged to my daughter whose living arrangements in an apartment and working from 7:30 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening screams no she is not going back to that life style. Claire: Claire is adoptable and a very sweet dog and would fit into a family with ease. So Claire needs to find a home.

Now there is Mama and Hobo, an almost impossible situation to find a home for because of age and Hobo's shyness and inability to cope with any strange person or anything new and different. So, it looks as if we will be staying more at home than we would like to.

When I look at the five fur babies and start to think, "What do they want?" Then I realize how selfish all of this is. Claire is wonderfully happy with her place here having Suzie to play with and vice versa. To watch them run and play in the back yard and see the fun they are having lets you know they would love for this to never end. Peaches is back at her home where she started out in 1999 and loving every minute of it. Hobo and Mama just have gone through a big change in their lives and lost the man they loved so much and had to give up their home they had known all of their lives. Figuring Mama's age her days are numbered and if Claire can find a home, then that puts us back to three if and when something happens to Mama. So I will patient and wait to see what God works out for his fur children and I will love them every one as God's gift to Sue and I.

[Dixie_Flyer]

Hoops wrote:
In the picture of the 4 puppies, from left to right, who is who???

Dixie, Anna, Savannah and Suzie and in the background to the right you can see part of Old Fella as he stood watching.

[Hoops]

In the picture of the 4 puppies, from left to right, who is who???

[Dandy_Dan]

Here is a picture for Richard to remember the moment.
Anna, Savannah, Suzie, Dixie and of course Richard.


Then Anna at 12 weeks old:

And the Old Man that started this all along with Anna:

[chemisd]

And here I thought Allan was running with a red ball in his mouth! I got a new picture frame for Christmas that has places for 9 photos...I had to include my previous 2 girls.....they leave a permanent place in our heart.
Hope all is well in FOOF-land and everyone is getting their Superbowl treats ready...don't forget to watch those chicken bones with your dogs!
Go Steelers!

[Dixie_Flyer]

Hi Gary. It's nice to be able to go back in time and look at some special friends that have touched our lives. I don't know how many pictures Sue and I have of Levi, Fella and Charlie, but I find myself at times going back and looking at the pictures placed in an album as part of our special friends and special moments captured in time, frozen forever as if by magic just so we are able to once again relived the memories.

Our camping trips shared with our fur babies and with our children and grandchildren are safely put away just so we can go back for a special visit. I am so glad I have been a shutter bug most of my life and have such treasures to pass down to our children so they can enjoy them as well.

[Dashonthedash]

I was looking through some pictures of my dogs as I approach the 3rd anniversary of Allan’s loss (he's the greyhound in the red muzzle in my signature picture), and came across this one of Allan at Lily’s Birthday party at a dog park a few years ago. I was serving up some doggie carrot cake. He never made it to the Old Fella Rally, but you can get a little hint in this picture why he was like no other. How could you ever say no to this face?

[Dashonthedash]

Dixie Flyer wrote:
Wow Carole! That is a nice class A if I have the picture right.

Richard, are you looking at Class A's? :B
(If you keep getting more dogs, you will need a Class D)

[Dixie_Flyer]

Dan wrote:

"Richard, I told Lori about the conversation last night and maybe we will try to follow you home after the Rally and go to the Memorial. That would make a good sized circle of scenery. You said Suzie and the other are like two agitators in the washing machine. You sure that isn't aligators???"

That is a great idea. We will look forward to traveling back together. If anyone else would like to attend the memorial the last week in April please come as it will be a great tribute to Old Fella.