| I am a hospice patient and have two animals in my home. One is a 13 year old neutered Akita, who has severe arthritis, is almost completely blind and deaf, and he has an extreme amount of difficulty getting up and down from the floor by himself due to hip pain. Additionally, he has suffered multiple strokes and seizures, and takes medication at least four times a day to help control pain and seizures. Unfortunately, it is likely that he will have to be euthanized soon due to his complex medical issues, but for right now, he is comfortable and stable. My other animal is a ten year old Norfolk Terrier mix. He is in excellent health, and is still very vibrant and full of life. He is also neutered, current on all his vaccinations, and takes heartworm and flea and tick medication regularly. He is heartworm negative, has no medical issues, and our vet tells us that he is quite sturdy and likely to live another seven to ten years. So it was with a heavy heart that I had to make the decision to re-home the terrier mix, as my own health is rapidly declining. It became clear that the little guy needed to find a new forever home, and soon. After trying him in various family and local placement situations, I was not having any luck finding him a permanent placement. He is not cat friendly (or ferret, or bird), but does fine with other dogs. A sweet and submissive personality, low energy, and a true cuddle bug. Loves to snuggle and be petted and loved on as much as you are willing to do so. He deserved to find a new home before time ran out for me, leaving me no other option than to have him euthanized. He had too much life still left to live, especially since he is a bit of a clown and brings a lot of smiles and laughter into our home. He needed someone to love him and welcome him into their home, and even though he is already ten years old, he still has plenty of years to offer love and companionship. After not having any luck locally trying to find him a forever placement, with the best-case scenario being an offer that he would be accepted as a foster with a rescue group, I was determined to find him a permanent placement. I simply could not allow him the uncertainty and stress of being in a foster situation, with no guarantee of a permanent placement. I owed him the safety and love of a permanent home, as it was not his fault that his human companion's health was rapidly deteriorating, leaving us little time to find him a new home. In desperation really, in the hopes of finding a miracle for him, I put his picture and profile on Rescue Me, hoping against hope that an angel might find him and fall in love with him and offer him a loving and safe forever home. Within about two weeks, I had a number of inquiries, but one such inquiry stood out among all the others. Someone willing to drive six hours to meet him. A retired couple who had several other senior rescues in their home. We exchanged many emails and phone calls, and after serious consideration, a date was set for them to drive the six hours to come see if there might be a match. I don't think I've prayed that hard in a very long time. It just felt right, like it was a match that was meant to be. What are the chances that we would find a loving home for an older dog; a home where he would be safe, and loved, and treated with tenderness and care? It was a long shot, but I truly believed they were his miracle angels. The meeting took place, and he took to them immediately (not surprisingly). He cuddled and snuggled and showed off his silly side. He kissed and giggled and gave them those warm brown Eeyore eyes. They both had very calm and quiet personalities, and they expressed how they felt drawn to at least try to give him a chance. It was extremely difficult to let our little guy go, but we were so incredibly blessed to have found Helen and Karl, who not only welcomed him into their home, but also immediately had him examined by their vet, (who found out he was harboring an ear infection, which is currently being treated). I feel incredibly blessed to have found not only responsible pet owners who will ensure he is in good health, but more than that, we are so happy for our little guy to have a new forever home where he will have plenty of love and snuggles for all the remaining years of his life. Yes, we were looking for a miracle, and Rescue Me helped deliver that miracle for our little guy. Our little Ozzie Doodle needed an angel, and he needed someone to find him, and very soon before time ran out, and thankfully, that happened to him. We are forever grateful to his new adoptive parents (and to his sibling doggie family, too). He will love having other doggie brothers and sisters to cuddle and snuggle with, and he is so very lucky to have found such sweet and loving and generous-hearted people who would welcome him into their home. Thank you to Helen and Karl, and thank you to Rescue Me too. Amen. | |  |
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