Nutty

Nutty’s journey to find his forever home has not been easy. He has found himself in a shelter three times in his life, twice as a young dog and most recently, when his longtime owner passed away. Now a much older dog, Nutty was struggling with painful arthritis, ear infections, and skin issues. To make matters worse, the shelter was in an isolated area that had a very low adoption rate, so senior dogs had very little hope of ever finding an adopter.

Nutty languished at the shelter for over two months, without a single person interested in meeting him. Shelter staff said he would lie listlessly on his concrete outdoor run and volunteers would come by to try to entice him out of the kennel run for a daily walk. He refused to get up, remained withdrawn, and severely depressed. When the caring shelter staff told us about Nutty’s sad story, we went to work to find him the home he needed to feel loved and wanted again.

Luckily for Nutty, his new foster family has experience caring for dogs with both medical and emotional challenges. In the seven months that they have been fostering Nutty, his life has changed dramatically. His foster mom shares a wonderful update on his transformation from a shut down, unwanted dog to a very happy and loved member of the family.

“When Nutty arrived, he was a very sad and broken dog. After seeing a vet and receiving treatment for his many health issues, he was physically starting to feel better, but emotionally, he still had a long road ahead. He was guarded, unsure and would bark at anything that scared him. He didn’t want much attention and still seemed to be grieving his previous life. Every day, one of us would quietly sit with him, not asking for anything but to share some space and let us give him a scratch or pet. Slowly over the next few weeks, he started to trust again. We were thrilled when he would wag his tail or tap us with his paw when he wanted more attention.

“Once he felt safe and comfortable, a new dog emerged. We were delighted when he decided his new foster dad was his favorite person in the world. He follows him everywhere he goes with a HUGE smile on his face and literally jumps for joy when he sees him come home from work. They work out in the yard together and Nutty goes with him to feed the pigs, waiting and watching to make sure he is safe. He now looks forward to going for walks with the pack, chasing rabbits and loves to eat blackberries and apples in our orchard. Nutty usually keeps to himself but just last month has made friends with another Old Dog Haven foster, and they love to wrestle with each other and play fight. It is quite a sight to see!

“Nutty has earned himself the nickname “The Sherriff” (also known as the hall monitor or fun police) because he doesn’t like it when people or dogs get out of line. If anyone is moving too fast, playing too rough or being too loud, he will bark and nudge you until you stop. If one of his packmates has to go take a bath or get a nail trim- Nutty will intervene and try to rescue the dog! Much to our surprise, Nutty has turned into a very affectionate boy. He loves to give kisses and to cuddle with us on the couch. It’s taken time to learn what his limitations are, but with love and patience he has become a happy and well adjusted dog. We are so grateful to Old Dog Haven and its generous donors for giving Nutty the chance to feel safe, loved, and finally at home.”

Nutty is sponsored by: