Ruthie

One of the recent intakes to Old Dog Haven was 14-year-old Ruthie. We had received a call about Ruthie and were told that she had to find a new home (or be euthanized) within two days.  Her owner was elderly and had medical issues. Ruthie had been his wife’s dog, they’d adopter her 6 years ago from a local animal shelter.  His wife had been in assisted living for the past 1.5 years and he admitted Ruthie had not had much care.  He said a local shelter had turned her down because of her age so he’d tried to find vets to euthanize her but couldn’t find one willing. He told us that Ruthie was “bossy, aggressive” and would try to bite him.

We knew Ruthie needed help!  One of our wonderful veterinary hospitals was willing to see Ruthie the next day, and the thought was she would need to be euthanized based on what her owner said.  One of our staff met Ruthie and her owner at the clinic and Ruthie (who was distressed scared), licked her hand and made it clear she wasn’t ready to be sent on.  Our staff person asked her owner to sign Ruthie over to Old Dog Haven and he did.  The wonderful vet and vet tech stepped right in and spent a good part of the day addressing all of Ruthie’s immediate needs.  She was sedated, shaved, bathed and received a complete intake exam.   They spent much of their day caring for a dog they hadn’t planned on seeing! As you can see from the photos, she was in VERY BAD shape.  She was so matted she couldn’t walk normally, and she had feces stuck to her hair.  Ruthie has suffered from neglect for quite some time.  More vetting will come once Ruthie has some time to settle in.

Luckily one of our board members, who is also a long-time forever foster for Old Dog Haven, and her husband were willing to give Ruthie a place to go on extremely short notice. We were THRILLED! They picked her up from the vet clinic and brought her home that very day.   Here’s what she told us when we asked about how Ruthie was doing:

“Ruthie was pretty shell-shocked and withdrawn when we got her home.  But in 2 and a half days, she has showed us her will to live and willingness to trust again.

“Her legs were weak, gait unsteady, yet she sprinted the best she could the minute her feet touched the ground, testing out her new mobility now that the mats were removed.  There were no words to describe how grateful we were that this poor girl was given the opportunity to live.

“Ruthie has been learning how to be a dog again. She has been going on slow, short walks, sniffing the plants and flowers and exploring her new home. She is starting to relax and will lay down with us in the same room and finally figured out that the dog bed and fluffy blankets are for her.  She has made it clear that her new pack and people are alright.

“We can’t wait to see this girl enjoying her life once more.”

We at Old Dog Haven are so grateful to the group of people who stepped up for Ruthie!  Grateful that this lovely, sweet pup can feel the love and care she so deserves.

Thanks to all of you who support Old Dog Haven. You help make it possible for us to provide dogs like Ruthie the chance at a new life with care, love and homes they will never lose!

Ruthie is sponsored by: