We have a new foster dog and his name his Tucker. Tucker has lived all of his 15 years in a pen. His senior owners could no longer care for him and he was brought to SAINTS by the couple’s daughters. Apparently Tucker was no longer content to remain in his pen and had started to actively try and dig his way out. It was also suspected that the aged parents were not remembering to feed him everyday.
As I have said before fostering senior dogs is a joy. They don’t ask for much and they are a pleasure to have around. Tucker is a totally different story. Fostering a dog who has never known the comfort of a soft dog bed, the smell of pizza, the taste of peanut butter or liver brownies is enough to bring tears to your eyes. He was also never socialized with other dogs and tended to meet new dogs by humping them. Not the best social skills to use when meeting a new pack. Tucker is desperate to please. He learns quickly and he no longer humps everyone – after less than a week. He is learning his name and to take treats with a soft mouth. He is figuring out that there is always lots of food here. Tucker is a very good dog.
Tucker asleep on a bed:
If you have room in your heart consider fostering or adopting a senior dog.
July 1, 2008 at 3:41 am
I fail to understand how anyone could stand idly by and watch a dog exist in what is basically solitary confinement year after year after year. I also fail to understand how dogs like Tucker can forgive the human race for such inhumane treatment.
I guess it doesn’t much matter now. Tuck is here, he’s ours and his life will never be the same. He has bonded so quickly and so strongly that my heart already belongs to him.
Tucker is completely incontinent at this point, which may be the result of injury, illness, or learned behaviour. He wears a belly band right now, but that will change if it can. He’s a dog who has known starvation, so food is an issue to him, but not anything that can’t be handled quite easily. Tucker’s number one priority in life seems to be making his people happy, and anything he can do to that end is good, so he tries very hard to be a very good dog, which he is.
I took Tucker (on leash, he’s not quite sure what “Tucker” means yet, but it is usually attached to something tasty) to the dike today. While MacKenzie, Kirby and Sienna totally ignored me and cooled off in the river, Tucker showed me the dike from a totally new perspective, that of a prisoner who has been set free. Everything excited him, he was like a puppy, rolling in the grass, catching balls, sniff, sniff, sniffing everything. He was very polite when he met the damn Golden Retriever who took me out.
I promise you, Tucker my love, you will never, ever know hunger, loneliness or despair again.
Please, please consider adopting or fostering a senior animal in need. The rewards are endless.
July 1, 2008 at 12:32 pm
He looks very sweet
July 1, 2008 at 6:21 pm
What a lucky dog to have found such a safe place to land. Sounds like his inner pup is emerging as he learns to live the kind of life every dog should get to live. Thank you for taking in this guy.
Senior rescues are THE BEST!!!! I couldn’t ask for more wonderful dogs than my Belle and Sadie – the sigh of relief and contentment when they realized they were “home” was palpable. I’m sure it is the same for Tucker, even while he learns to share with canine siblings and live indoors.
July 2, 2008 at 4:54 am
Thanks Jean. It is a pleasure having him here!