MARANDA FUND RECIPIENT

 

Stanley (aka Lil’ Man Stan) – Sweet Little Gremlin

A week after losing a beloved foster to cancer, we were sent a photo of little man Stan, with the caption, “Is it too soon?” We were so sad at that time, but this little guy had a lot of urgent medical issues and needed a home quickly. We felt that Stanley would help us get through the grieving process, and once we saw his little face, we fell in love with this tiny Gremlin.

Stanley arrived at a rural shelter as a stray in terrible condition. He had a horrible cough, bad teeth, weakness in his hind legs, and was missing fur on his back and tail, with filthy, long, matted hair everywhere else. If he had previously been in a home, it was clear he had been terribly neglected. The shelter thought he was a very old dog who needed a lot of medical intervention fast, so they contacted Old Dog Haven.

The wonderful ODH volunteer transporters who brought Stanley to us considered taking him to the ER on their way to our house because his coughing was so severe. When they brought us this stinky, matted, 9 pound, amazingly sweet little guy, we were amazed to find out he had perfect house manners. He was totally housebroken and he cuddled up in our arms immediately!

Stanley has been on a medical roller coaster ride ever since he arrived here. He came with very bad chronic bronchitis, a lung infection, and kennel cough. He also has a partially collapsed trachea, Cushing’s Disease, and is highly susceptible to bacterial infections. An internist recommended that Stanley have a Bronchoscopy/BAL. This was so they could look into his lungs with a scope and collect cells to culture for the type of infection he had. Then Stanley could be treated with the correct antibiotics and have a better chance of recovering.  Thanks to the Maranda Fund Stanley received the procedure and is enjoying life.

We are so grateful to Old Dog Haven for giving him full access to the medical treatments and specialists he has needed to pull through. Now, as Stanley’s fur grows back in everywhere, we think he could be a Shorkie Poo–a Shih Tzu/Yorkie/poodle mix. He has a beautiful coat of many colors and textures, and we look forward to see what his finished look will be!

This Lil Man loves everyone he meets. He adores his sister ODH dog, every other dog he meets (especially BIG ones!), cats, and children. He follows me everywhere, his funny little tail up and wagging, ready for the next adventure, or hoping maybe it’s time to cuddle on the bed or couch. Luckily, Stan doesn’t realize he has any medical issues. It turns out that he’s younger than the shelter originally thought, maybe only 11 or 12, and he acts like it.

We realize that our time with Stanley may not be long. But we are so grateful for each day we get to spend with him. Stanley has brought so much joy and love into our lives in the last six months that each extra day we have is a gift.

Stanley ‘before’

Here’s Stanley now!

enjoying the garden

Lil Man Stan

Update:  Thanks to the wonderful care he received from his Final Refuge family and Old Dog Haven, Stanley was able to stay longer than anticipated.  However, it was finally time for them to let him go – with much sadness.  Stanley was one of the very special ones who will always live on in our hearts.  Thanks to his wonderful family he had the very best last chapter and knew so much love and care.