Old Dog Haven’s 12th Dogs

Old Dog Haven has quite a strong contingent of Seahawks fans. And not just the people. We have six dogs that are named for Seahawks players, and even though it’s not quite a full team we’ve contacted Pete Carroll to let him know that our gang is ready and willing if they’re needed. I thought you might like to meet our 12th Dogs so here they are: (Thanks to their foster parents for providing information about them.) Go Hawks!

Wilson, named after Russell Wilson, has come a long way in developing confidence since coming to his Old Dog Haven Final Refuge home almost three years ago. He is no longer fearful or shy; he gets very excited and vocal about meal time and lets us know his displeasure when his foster dad leaves the house. Wilson has now lost most of his hearing and his vision is extremely limited but that doesn’t stop him from getting around and finding his buddy Sherman or his other pug buddy, Duncan. Wilson underwent laser surgery with an animal dermatologist to remove the numerous growths he had all over his body. It seems Wilson’s skin will continue to be a problem area for him so regular bathing, medication and check-ups with the dermatologist will be necessary for the rest of his life. Thanks to ODH’s donors, this is possible. His foster family has accepted the fact that Wilson will never “get” potty training so they keep a supply of stylish belly bands handy for him. Wilson is a funny, sweet pug who makes everyone who meets him smile—very much like his namesake!

 

  Sherman, named after Richard Sherman, came into his Final Refuge home and seemed to “belong” right away. He is a very friendly dog who is happy and extremely loyal to his foster dad; so much so that he follows him from room to room all day long. By the time evening comes, Sherman’s had so much exercise just keeping up with his dad he’s very glad to sit on the couch with his BFF Wilson. Sherman struggles with typical issues seen with senior pugs: mobility, dry eye, hearing loss and potty trouble! Sherman has had two surgeries for mast cell tumors as well. His foster family and their vet keep up on checking for new growths and the re-occurrence of bladder stones. Sherman can’t perform the acrobatic interceptions of his namesake, but if you saw him “running” down the hallway to get to dinner, you’d agree this handsome pug is loving and living his life to the fullest!

 

 

  Earl, named for Earl Thomas, was picked up as a stray, estimated at 11 years old. When retrieved from the shelter by ODH he seemed energetic and “fine.” But before the night was over, Earl was on his way to the ER. He had a full-blown case of mycoplasma pneumonia and had to stay in isolation at the ER for two days because Mycoplasma is highly contagious to other pets and to people. His survival instinct kept all this “hidden” while in the shelter but, once able to relax in a home, his defenses came down and everything broke loose. The next week Earl lived in isolation in his foster home with all the furniture draped in sheets, the temperature at a constant 70*, and the warm steam vaporizer running 24/7. Refusal to eat or drink anything at all resulted in a second trip back to the ER for additional treatment and changes to his medication. When he continued to refuse a smorgasbord of the most tasty of offerings, a prescription appetite stimulant was added. That got him to nibble, and then there was a light at the end of the tunnel. For the first eight days, a “walk” consisted of down the driveway to the sidewalk and back again. It took longer to bundle him up in his coat than to make the short trip, but that is all he could muster. He would just stand on the parking strip, tail hanging, ears down, looking incredibly miserable. Eventually Earl turned the corner and perked up. After five weeks, he was able to complete a full-length brisk walk around the neighborhood three times a day. His tail and his ears are up as he sniffs along.  And he has discovered there are squirrels in the back yard! Earl is a wonderful loving dog that shares the determination of his namesake.

  Ryan, named after Jon Ryan, came into a shelter with a ghastly-looking left hind leg. All the skin was gone from midway in the long bone down to almost his toes—perhaps scraped or sliced off on a sharp object. We’ll never know, but it was ugly. Besides that obvious injury he had bladder stones. This poor dog was miserable. Our vets went to work and removed the stones; he needs prescription diet to prevent recurrence and will have regular monitoring lifetime, but that problem is behind him. Getting his leg to heal was a bigger challenge. When healthy skin started to cover the leg we really celebrated—and this coincided with the 2014 Super Bowl victory for his namesake and the rest of the team! We guess that the injury caused nerve ending damage to that area so Ryan wears a bandage or a boot full time to keep him from licking it raw again, but he is a happy guy who loves long walks and meeting folks. His ODH mom adores this big fluffy guy.

 

 

  Bennett, named after Michael Bennett, is a relatively new member of our team. He was brought to the shelter by his owners of 13 years because they were moving. Bennett was so terrified at the shelter the staff tried for 36 hours to get a urine sample, but he refused to pee at all—not in his kennel, in a cage, or out on a walk. He was completely shut down and withdrawn. We were concerned about bladder stones, but the vet couldn’t find any bladder problems. He’s quite healthy so far—very itchy but his foster family is working on that. Now that he’s settled in he’s showing a very outgoing playful personality with a TON of energy—just like his namesake but fortunately not quite so strong.

 

 

 

  Thomas has only been a team member for a few weeks. He came in as a stray at a huge shelter. He was being evaluated for adoption, but the shelter realized that his eyesight was very compromised and he seemed to be deaf. His foster family would have bailed him out immediately, but he came down with kennel cough and couldn’t leave the shelter until he was no longer contagious.  Fortunately, he definitely has enough vision to get around; he will see the opthalmologist to get better treatment for his “dry eye” and our vet will see why he’s moving with some ataxia. He captivated the transport volunteers who delivered him from the shelter, and has charmed his foster parents too.  This adorable, friendly, cuddly little wagger settled right in and onto the nearest lap. He’s not very big so being named for Earl Thomas, the slender but very skilled and enthusiastic Free Safety, seemed quite appropriate.  On his first Sunday with his new family he loved cheering for the Hawks as they beat the Jets!