12/31/11 - MEMORIAL
It's
not every day that a dog can leave paw prints on the hearts of those he
never actually met, but our Primo did just that. He showed up to the
Philadelphia shelter emaciated and terrified. Initially, we were told that
he was blind and deaf. That didn’t scare us - we took him anyway.
The
first week he was with us was pretty uneventful. We just let him wander
around and get to know us. He flinched whenever we went to pet him. Judging
from the scars concentrated on his face, he must have been treated poorly by
humans in his prior life. And then slowly, we noticed a transformation
happening right before our eyes. He stopped flinching when we touched him
and even came over to us to solicit attention. This dog was not blind or
deaf, he was just so terrified in the noisy shelter that it took some time
in a home to realize he was safe. The first time I saw his tail slightly
shift from side to side when I came in the room my heart soared!
In the following
weeks, we just enjoyed showing Primo the good life. We cooked him chicken
and rice every night because the state of starvation he arrived in took a
toll on his intestines and he couldn’t tolerate much else. We took him for
long walks and he just bunny hopped alongside us, head held high with pride.
He met dogs on the street and just stared at them and wagged his tail
-obviously he had no idea how to play. When everyone commented on what a
beautiful dog he was, I gushed to them about how perfect he was and hoped he
might meet someone who’d offer him a forever home.
Then the day he
was neutered, we found out he had a huge liver mass, two other tumors, a
persistent dry cough (possible metastases) and spondylosis. We were
devastated, but he didn’t seem any worse for wear and continued to
demonstrate such a will to live. He had gained 15 pounds since coming into
rescue and looked like a different dog.
But all good
things come to an end. Last week, he suddenly had trouble walking.
He went up to Connecticut and had the greatest last week of his
life. He regained hind leg function and was back to his endearing bunny hop
walk that we all adored. He was able to be out in the suburbs, which he
loved. Then suddenly it all changed.
He began declining so fast and I was not about to let his life deteriorate
to a sad existence before letting him go for my own selfish reason of loving
his company.
Our trusted vet advised us that it was
time. I let him go with his
dignity and now he runs pain free up at the Rainbow Bridge with all the
rescues before him. He touched the lives of many people and hopefully
inspired someone out there to consider taking in that scared senior cowering
in the corner of the shelter.
As long as I live
I will never forget that happy sound of his tail beating against the wall in
the morning in our narrow hallway as he patiently waited for me to secure
his leash and jacket to go out for his morning walk. Even
though we only had him for a short time, I would do it all again knowing he
went to the rainbow bridge the happiest he has ever been.
Amy Swift
12/4/11
Primo
received a care package from Polka Dog Bakery. Included are some
pictures of Primo with his new treats!
11/28/11
Adopt a
senior month is almost over and Primo still finds himself without a forever
home. Due to his foster mom's traveling schedule, he has stayed with 2 other
AABR homes this month and done wonderfully in both. The first one was in
NYC and he instantly
stole the hearts of everyone in the building. When I went to pick him up,
people in the elevator all knew his name and were sad to see him go. Over
Thanksgiving, he went to stay in the suburbs where he was lucky enough to
have a yard to cruise around in and 4 other dogs for company. Although I
already knew he was good with other dogs, the family that watched him went
so far as to say he was AMAZING with other dogs. They have all types of
dogs, young and older, big and small, male and female - and he was great
with all of them. They even have a large male boxer that doesn't really care
for other male dogs and Primo did completely fine with him and Primo isn't
even neutered yet! If you are hesitant about adopting because you are
worried about how a resident dog might act, then consider Primo- he has no
interest in challenging the dominant dog.
Primo will be neutered this week and then is ready to go to his forever
home. He loves being outdoors so a yard would be ideal, but he is so easy to
walk on a leash that he could definitely fit into a city household too!
11/15/11
Wow -
has Primo come a long way since he was sprung from the shelter
on Sept. 30th! He has
transformed from this scared dog that we thought was on death's door to this
amazing, spry senior that is just so happy to be alive. He is actively
looking for a home to spend the rest of his golden years.
Primo is EXTREMELY easy to care for - just food and walks. He continues
to be well mannered in every situation - he even keeps his composure when he
is scared (which is rare these days). He does not jump and has done very
well with all the children that he meets on the street. When we go on walks,
everyone wants to stop to talk to him and many people comment on how
beautiful he is! He has stolen the hearts of the whole building and everyone
is so happy to see him fill out. A passerby on the street commented to me
today that he looked "so happy" and I told them it was because AABR gave him
a chance at life and he was going to take full advantage of it! If you are
looking for an easy dog that you won't have to adjust your routine or family
for- look no further, Primo is your dog!
10/10/11
Primo
has been in our apartment for about a week now and is doing great. When we
took him in, we weren't sure what to expect as he was thought to be in very
pathetic shape coming out of the shelter. He was arthritic and emaciated,
with scars all over his head and face. He flinched every time we touched
him. Since then, he has begun to realize that humans can be nice and show
affection towards him. He has been easy to handle as he doesn't require
anything besides food and about 3 walks a day. He also has demonstrated that
while he is slow to sit or lay down, he can handle 3 flights of stairs no
problem.
Primo loves to be outside and especially loves when we meet other dogs on
the street. He wags his tail, something he rarely does right now. He has
been a perfect gentleman with every dog, man, woman and child he has met.
Even when a dog went after him on the street, he just tucked his tail and
ran away -obviously not interested in a fight. If you are looking to be some
dog's hero without any real effort at all, this is the dog for you. He just
needs a soft place to lay down, some food, and hopefully another dog to
spend his time with.
10/3/11
New
pictures of Primo - an update will be posted as soon as his new foster mom
gets to know him better
10/01/11 -
Meet Primo - a sweet senior boy who ended up as a stray a busy city
shelter. He is very thin and needs some TLC. Primo is estimated
to be around 10 years of age. He is being transported today to his new
foster home and we will update his page soon once we know more about him.
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