Missy

Missy came into Old Dog Haven care after she had been picked up for neglect and brought to a shelter. Her soon-to-be ODH Final Refuge family’s first picture of her was of a very small dog with terribly matted hair and an enormous growth in and out of one ear. Missy is about 16 years old and weighs less than 10 pounds. Thanks to your support of ODH, the growth in her ear was removed. It was benign, but it turns out that that is her good ear–the other ear has a very scarred ear drum. Missy also has arthritis in her spine which is being managed with pain medicine.

Despite the neglect, someone at sometime must have cared for Missy somewhat because at 16 she still has her teeth. At some point, she may need some dental work done but first she needs to gain some weight. She’s a picky eater and her ODH family is working on getting her pain medications and food intake balanced and on a better schedule.

They tell us that Missy is very shy and reserved but she is always polite. She does not want to cuddle or be held or petted but she also does not want to be alone: “This little dog who spent her first 10 days with us with her tail firmly between her legs, now waits for us at the top of the stairs if we take out the trash and we get a little wag of her tail. Once even a happy hop. Who thought such things could mean so much?”

Missy loves her beds! She chooses whichever one is closer to her family and like many a rescued senior who is finally safe, Missy sleeps a lot. She has also discovered a love of walks and sniffing…she loves poking around in the yard and now even enjoys being held up to smell the breezes on a sunny day.

“Even with her quiet and her reticence, Missy gives us more than she takes. Her quiet appreciation of being alive and safe and cared for is good for our hearts.”

Update:  Our little Missy’s passing was quick and very gentle at 17 1/2. We expected to have her only a few weeks when we got her, but we  had her for almost 20 months!  She always paced and probably got her 10,000 steps in everyday which may have helped minimize her arthritis.

Missy had her routine of visiting the neighborhood “doggie” tree for news each morning in spite of the terrifying possibility that another monster dog or maybe even a bunny might come by, then checking out her fenced back yard where she ruled, barking at Dad if he didn’t pick her up right away, and making sure that Mom was not too far away. All that with long naps in her two favorite beds made the days pass quickly.

She always preferred our grandchildren to adults, and I so miss her bright little eyes greeting me in the morning or after a nap.This is definitely the hardest part of being with Old Dog Haven. The dogs give us so much and leave such a hole when they are gone.  We were very grateful for the time we had with this special girl.