Blowing off steam

Sherry I know what you mean about loosing those old guys I lost two of mine since I got home from the hospital too! Old age not neglect! Now the house plants were another story. Hubby thought they were fake. I explained that fake does not turn brown. Be patient and keep checking around. I have yorkies and the cost to have them groomed is very high over their life time. They should only weigh 4 to 6 pounds so there is no such thing as a t cup. If you find one that is undersized they are hard to vet because the vacinations are too strong. You might want to check into a Chihuahua mix. If you would like to vent more or need help finding rescue groups in your area for the small breeds send me a private message. Some times they are less expensive than the shelters with lots of expenses. Don’t give up looking for a best buddy the right one will find you soon!

Sherry, I will keep my eyes open in this part of the state for you. Sometimes there are pet fairs here, especially in the spring and summer months. I’ll pm you if I find a Yorkie. Have you searched the net? I did that one day last year while I was bored, I found many All over the US(well I actually found German Shepherds:o ) But I will search for Yorkies when I get a chance, now that I have my lifeline(internet) again:D . Take Care.

Rescue groups would probably be the best route – they are more likely to give you a waiver on fees based on your circumstances than a county-operated animal shelter. You can try [url]www.petfinder.org[/url] – they have a pretty comprehensive database of shelters and rescue groups. Except for Blackbury, our street dog from Tiawan, all of our pets were “rescued” from a group I located through Petfinder. While at that time we didn’t qualify for a reduced adoption fee I did notice that more than one rescue group had a check box to be considered for a reduced fee. I won’t kid you – I felt like I was adopting a child, we had to provide three references – work, friend and vet – they came out to do a home visit and check out the house, and then we were finally recommended. While it was kind of a pain in the rear, I appreciate the efforts they go through to make sure their rescues end up in good homes.

Good luck with your hunt, I highly recommend the emotional value of having a pet. I don’t know what I’d do without my little four legged friends. :p

Julie

I lost Agnes in the fall of 07. She died in my arms and was THE dog one owns in their lifetime.

I started to pick out a puppy and had searched for the right dog to find me. I saw a picture on line of 3 puppies at an animal shelter about an hour away and they looked like Agnes did as a puppy. I went to the shelter but the puppies were about 2 months past their picture age and were…….shall we say…….not so tame.

As I walked around the shelter looking at dogs I inquired about several that were in a seperate area. I was told that they were basically on death row. They were old dogs that no one had shown any interest in and their time was up.

Everytime I passed that area there was an old, grey, small female beagle that would lean back against the cage, pull her right paw up to her chest in a shy, protective manner but her tail would just go to town thumping.

Everytime I passed, she did the same action. The more I thought about it I realized that in the post GBS world, there is no way I could take on a puppy and all that it brings on. At the same time, I always felt guilty when I would be gone from the house for a long time and Agnes was on her own.

By adopting an OLD dog that was scheduled to be gassed, no matter how many hours away from her, her life would still be better then death.

Elise and I have been together for a little over a year now. She doesn’t require much besides fresh water and soft foods since she has few teeth left.

For the most part she uses the “pads” but won’t use just one. I have to put two down since she uses one for each function.

I have to help her up on the bed and have to help her on the sofa but other than that, she’s content to sit on the porch in the sun, or sleep all day in the bed.

She’s the perfect companion for me.

I don’t know how much older she will get. It seems she is somewhere between 11 and 14. When her time comes I will be sad and miss her but I feel like I’m doing a service for old unwanted dogs. when she does pass, I will make my trips through the shelters until the next old unwanted dog finds me.

All too often I hear of dogs who were companions to old people and when the elderly person dies, the dogs end up in a shelter until their time is up and they are gassed.

Most of these old companion dogs will adjust to a new home and living with a single person. Elsie has learned my schedule and I have learned her routine.

Please, don’t forget these old dogs that still have so much love to give and are usually gentle and housebroken.

It’s a pleasure to have a companion who doesn’t mind if I sleep 12 hours a day.

Sherry isn’t it nice to know there is another softy in this group of animal lovers on this forum!

Sherry,

Stick with visiting the local dog pound… great choices and you get to save a life!

Hugs,

Rocker

Sherry,

Maybe I missed it but how much does it cost??? Your a great person and I know how much my cat helped my recovery.

Jerimy

Sherry,

I think when you consider the dog has already been spayed/neutered and all shots are up to date and teeth have been checked, cleaned and any pulled if needed. They have been wormed. Then the places have evaluated the animal to make sure it will be good for your situation and is even placeable. I think the total of those services can add up very quickly. If you would have got a dog for free you would have to address those concerns for the dog after adoption. So without a discount or clinic $200 is alot of money but you are putting it back into the system for the next dog inline to be adopted. Many of the dogs I have taken to the vets need wormed several times and teeth pulled. Also spayed and neutered before they could be adopted. I evaluated them for over a month. Their care cost me more than $200. I am sure you were quoted show dog price with that $5,000 price tag. Neither you or I need show dogs, so make it clear you are looking for pet quality. Even approach a reputable breeder for a dog they kept longer to see if it would produce pups or do well at showing but that was not the case! Don’t give up your search but if you want something that is not going to shed and will stay small you don’t have alot of breeds that will fit that bill. Remember FREE comes along but you just have to be patient! Remember that is how I got my three Yorkies! Also, contact all the groomers in your area they hear about dogs that need placed all the time.