Sponsor Me

Please note: The dogs in ODH's Final Refuge care are not adoptable due to medical reasons and all are in permanent homes. Your sponsorship supports the veterinary expenses for these dogs - and we thank you!

Mandy and her brother, Mikey, were in desperate need of a new home.  Since they were adopted as puppies, the dogs had been together for 11 years.   The owner of the dogs was very ill and soon would be moving into assisted living.  He loved his precious dogs and was having difficulty giving them away.  The owner’s daughter was helping him adjust and she contacted Old Dog haven to try to find them a home together.  Fortunately, a foster had room for both of them and they were soon transported to their forever home.

Mandy arrived with an enlarged heart, severe dental disease, and a cough.  Her brother, Mikey, was suffering from painful bladder stones, and was scheduled for surgery within the first two weeks.  The two dogs were fitting in fine with their new foster brothers and sister and life looked promising.  However, Mandy now had to face another change.  When Mikey was anesthetized, he was not able to tolerate the anesthesia and the veterinarian had to immediately stop the procedure.  Mikey’s condition worsened and Mandy had no choice, but to say goodbye to her brother and best friend of 11 years.  Mandy had never been socialized and she had never lived around other dogs.  She was doing her best to adjust, but she had experienced a lot of changes in a very short period of time.

Mandy barked at anyone visiting her new foster home and would continue barking until all the visitors left.   She was terrified every time she had to go to the Vet or the groomers.  She was doing her best to adjust to her foster brothers and sister.  At least, she was not living alone.

After additional tests, it was decided that Mandy’s heart disease was too severe to risk giving her a dental procedure.  Mandy’s cough cleared up and she spent the next year becoming more comfortable with her new life.  She started playing with her foster sister, Bella Bean, and she also decided that there were a few visitors that she would allow to visit without barking.  However, the visitors were best to stay seated, because if they stood, then Mandy would determine them to be a threat and would again start to bark.

All was going well and then, Mandy almost died.  Mandy’s heart disease had worsened, and the day before her 1 year checkup, Mandy and her 3 foster brothers and her foster sister were scheduled to be groomed.  Mandy was the first one taken for a bath and after the shampoo, as she was wrapped in a towel, she collapsed.  She was barely breathing, her eyes were glazed over and she appeared to be almost dead.  The groomers called the foster and Mandy was transported to emergency.  It was just about an hour from when Mandy collapsed to the time, they arrived at the emergency hospital.  Somehow, during that ride, Mandy must have decided that she wanted to live.  Upon arrival, Mandy’s body temperature was very cold and her pulse was slow.  But, she managed to stand for the Vet.  After additional tests, and 3 consecutive days of Vet visits, including an echo of her heart, the Veterinarians were able to determine what happened.  Mandy had torn one of the cords that hold the heart in place.  This is usually fatal for dogs.  But, Mandy wasn’t ready to leave this world just yet.

Mandy was given additional heart medication and today she is doing well.  Her foster is very grateful that Mandy recovered and that thanks to Old Dog Haven she was able to get all the care she needed.

Mandy and Mike

Mandy is sponsored by:

  • James Mattson of Bellevue, WA - Lifetime Sponsor
  • Ruth Fay of Portland, OR - Lifetime Sponsor
  • Victor Nosce - Lifetime Sponsor