Mitch

Mitch came to his Old Dog Haven Final Refuge family in horrible shape and had been considered for euthanasia at the shelter because of the pain he was in from a variety of physical issues.   We hoped with good medical care, we could restore a good quality of life.  He had ulcers in both eyes and would keep them closed because of the pain. His skin was itchy and matted. He stunk so bad we had to bathe him right after we got him home. He also had a nasty double ear infection that took multiple trips to the vet to clear up.

Once we had our first vet appointment and got him on eye medicine, his eyes started to clear up within weeks. He has a slight heart murmur and bad teeth. He has the beginning cataracts forming in his eyes. Mitch doesn’t mind the vet’s office until they start checking him out. He does not like his ears and teeth messed with at all. We have no idea how old he is, but they thought he was ten years old when he came to us. We did not want to stress him out any more than he already was, so we waited a month or so to get him groomed, but in the meantime, I trimmed what I could.

The shelter had advised us that he was a little snappy, but we were unsure if that was due to stress, pain, or his personality. At first, he was in so much pain that everything he did was uncomfortable. Once we got his pain under control, he started to be very playful, and oh boy, does he love toys.  It took him around three months to learn how to play with the pack. He is still working on playing with the bigger dogs.

The first time Mitch heard our chickens and turkey making noise, he went crazy. He ran all over the yard, trying to find what was making the noise. He loves to go for walks and explore everything. He would stay outside forever if we let him. He loves belly rubs! When we brought him home before his bath, he found a dog bed and rolled over for rubs. He melted our hearts, and I just wanted to cry because of the shape he was in. He loves car rides and looking out the windows. We have taken him to many places, and he enjoys smelling different places.

Mitch has the nickname Michell because he can sometimes be a little stinker. He has gained six pounds since being with us. He transformed from a dog that was almost euthanized and  to a handsome little guy who lives to play with his toys and belly rubs. We are still working on getting his dental done and have an upcoming appointment for his eyes and ears, which will be a lifelong issue.

Old Dog Haven recently gave us a box of donations, and Mitch was pulling all the toys out of the box before we could even get them into the car. By the time we had left the parking lot, he had the whole box empty and was lying in it. Mitch also loves shopping and is very picky about what toy he picks. He spent some time down the toy aisle looking at all the toys, and a staff member came over to see if we needed help. She squeaked one toy, and it was over. He carried the toy the whole time while shopping and still to this day sleeps with it.

Mitch is full of life now and I can’t imagine what would have happened if Old Dog Haven had not gotten him into their care.

Mitch is sponsored by: