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

[dogdiva]

rogern cindy
I guess you missed my post about Jewel on 9/19....It sounds like someone has stollen her, If you have put up signs everywhere and checked with all the vets in the area. I know it is so heartbreaking for your folks not knowing
Prayers are still coming from Texas for Jewel

[Dixie_Flyer]

Sorry Cindy for the poor responce, you know you are in our prayers for Jewels safe return.

[Poodle_Power]

I'm sorry you haven't received the support you needed. I check everyday to see if you have posted that Jewel has been found. I can certainly understand how your Mother must feel. I would be heartbroken. I hope that Jewel is found soon.
Phyllis

[Hoops]

RogerNCindy please know that just because some of us didn't post, it didn't mean we weren't concerned or that we aren't praying for little Jewel. It is never easy to loose a pet, but to not know what happened to them must be harder. Prayers for little Jewel and your parents. Hopefully she will make it home. And our thoughts are with you.


Becky

[RogerNCindy]

RogerNCindy wrote:

Dixie Flyer wrote:

RogerNCindy wrote:
Just got word from my Parents that their toy poodle Jewel has been missing since Tuesday. She is a rescue, and was rescued at the same time and was living in the same cage as our Katie. They NEVER go outside, as they've been trained to do their business in one place (like cats!), so they have no idea why she went out, or when. Please pray for her safe return.

I hope by now something good has happened, like Jewel has come home?

Not yet. Today's the soonest they could get a notice in the local paper. We're hoping for a call very soon...

This thread represents a lot of compassion and work with respect to Old Fella and animal rescue in Burke County and around the country. It is certainly commendable what you're all trying to do here recently to honor those 13 special dogs. It was in the past but will never be forgotten.

In the present, however, my parents have lost one of their furbabies. And being an animal lover I very deeply feel their pain. Figuring this would be the best place, I posted here for some support. There was but one response, and it was from Dixie Flyer.

If I/we have done something to offend anyone, it was certainly not intentional. Please don't take it out on lonely lost Jewel who we pray is still be trying to find her way back home. My mother has been sitting by the phone for more than five days waiting for someone to call with information.

Thank you.

[Dixie_Flyer]

Good morning everyone. Well I finally made the sick list. Sue gave me her cold and I feel miserable. When Sue and I went to Greenville to watch Austin play football we left the digital camera somewhere and it is not to be found. So I guess there won’t be any pictures for a while, at least until we can replace the camera. If any of you happen to run across a good bargain on a Canon SD 500 Power Shot let me know.

The fur gang had a good weekend and they are doing great. Mama is having good days with her diet with no side effects and Hobo continues to circle the dog bowls like a buzzard waiting for something to fall into the bowls. She stands over Mama while she eats saying “Hurry up. Hurry up! Wait, wait don’t eat that last bite, its mine, its mine I tell you!” Then she goes and checks Peaches’ bowl and licks it clean and then she tries for Suzie’s bowl, but Suzie is guarding it with snarled lips, so she passes by, “Never mind, I’ll come back later when you’re not around.” So I lock Suzie’s food in the kennel crate and let her back in after lunch and then she will finish it. Mama always leaves a little for Hobo so I have to make sure she doesn’t leave too much so we can knock some of that weight off of her.

Right now all the babies are resting. Mama is close by on the floor so she can keep an eye on me if I move. Hobo is on one of the dog beds, while Peaches is on the couch and Suzie is on another one of the dog beds. Izzie is lying on the couch cleaning his self and picking the loose hair off and leaving balls of it on the couch for someone to pick up. Sue and I are busy with the computers, she is working while I am socializing. So that is the picture of the Daniels clan this morning. Hope all is well with all of you, talk with you later.

[Code2High]

I hear ya, but my other voice, the one that wants to tell the story and make the point, so to speak, is pulling the other way. Maybe we should put it together that way and look at it for a while and see how it feels, then everyone can weigh in?

[Dashonthedash]

I think it's OK, but I sort of liked the original word order, because the words "neglected" and "remembered". although they don't technically rhyme, do match up well. Just my poetic side speaking.

[Code2High]

BTW it worked out because that was what I was aiming for from the start. I wasn't too sure about the characters and all that, but figured I had thirteen bricks to work with. My original thought was that we'd put a date and who it was from on the thirteenth, but I prefer Gary's additional line.

My only little quibble with what I wrote/what we have is that I'd like to switch the words on nine and ten like this:

9 though you were neglected
10 and so badly abused

... because I think that is more accurate, this was not a hoarding case or a neglect case per se, but a case of deliberate, vicious and intentional infliction of bodily harm on the dogs in question.

If that's okay with y'all, and assuming the numbers work.

[Code2High]

Couple of options for that last brick... could we go with two lines and make the font bigger for those last two words??

If not, I'd vote first for a date rather than a "who" but that's just me.

[SGTJOE]

Dixie Flyer wrote:
That looks like 13 Bricks, how did that work out?

I think it's awesome and say yes. What about the last line saying

FOOF'S ??

[Dixie_Flyer]

That looks like 13 Bricks, how did that work out?

[SGTJOE]

Fantastic folks, I just read this to my wife and it was a little difficult for this old Marine to finish it without getting a little teary eyed.

[Dashonthedash]

We may have to change a couple of lines to fit, but this is how I see it brick by brick. I could not fit suffering into the 3x13 format, except in the form "We will not/forget your/suffering", so I changed that line and the following one to create a rhyme complete with meter:

1. To the 13
we could
not save
2. And to all
the unnamed
others
3. Please know
that we
tried
4. Please know
that we
cared
5. Please know
that for
you
6. People
everywhere
have cried
7. We will
not forget
your pain
8. It will
never be
in vain
9. Though
you were
abused
10.And so
badly
neglected
11.You
were
loved
12.And you
will
Be
13.Always
Remembered

[Dixie_Flyer]

Good morning everyone. We have reached a milestone this morning with 15,000 replies to the Old Fella Thread. Sue and Gary your tribute is beautiful now let me figure out how many bricks it will take to do this..