Newman Nation: Senior Pets United

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night 🎄❤️

12/18/2024

We are BEYOND excited to share that, after more than 2 years, Chip has found his forever home and been adopted! 🎉

Chip came to us from a local animal control with his bonded pair and biological mom, Mrs. Potts, back in October 2022. Maybe the bonded pair aspect/taking on two seniors at once scared people away but they never had a single adoption application. Unfortunately, Mrs. Potts passed away unexpectedly this summer and Chip was left to relearn life and regain confidence on his own.

With our incredible foster Stephanie, Chip came out of his shell these past few months and let his sweet, quirky personality truly shine. He finally found the perfect match in adopter Jenn last weekend and we couldn’t be happier for everyone! Chip has two new dog siblings and everyone in his family absolutely adores him. ❤️

12/17/2024

Tina was a trusted foster for our seniors and she will be missed. So much love to her family ❤️

12/14/2024

It took me a bit to get through the shock and compose my thoughts enough to share that Stewie is gone.

He was finally weaned off oxygen but bloodwork showed sky high liver and kidney values. Shortly before I arrived at the ER last night, he slipped into a state of unresponsiveness. I knew the second I saw him that his spirit had left and there was nothing else to do but let his body go as well.

Stewie’s original owner passed away some years ago and he ended up at a shelter. Four years ago, he was adopted, but earlier this year that owner passed away too and he ended up back at the shelter again. It was clear from his lengthy vet records that followed him that Stewie had always been adored and well cared for.

It wasn’t surprising that Stewie had terrible separation anxiety and was a disaster when I left him. He was my little duckling following behind me wherever I went at home and coming on every Starbucks run, random errand, family dinner, and big party he could possibly attend so we’d never have to be apart.

Due to his age and congestive heart failure, every day since I got him in March was jam packed with memories and endless love. I was beyond thrilled when he made it to his 18th birthday in September, which we celebrated with a Pizza Party Palooza Extravaganza. I got greedy and imagined the fun of Christmas morning with him but time was not on our side.

Stewie was the cutest, sweetest, goofiest, most innocent little kid and we will miss him every day. I hope that he tells his two former owners about all the fun he’s had as a Newman Nation Forever Foster these last 9 months when they all meet again. 🌈

12/13/2024

Please send good vibes to Stewie who is currently hospitalized at Companion Animal Specialty & Emergency Hospital.

18-year-old Forever Foster Stewie was diagnosed with congestive heart failure earlier this year and I woke up at 1am to him in respiratory distress and rushed him in. Chest X-rays showed an area of fluid in his chest and he was unstable outside of the oxygen cage so he was admitted for overnight care.

They are currently weaning Stewie off of oxygen and he’s trending in the right direction. The vet said he is cautiously optimistic and I’m hoping that Stewie is able to come back home tonight to rest on his favorite heated blankie and enjoy all the love, even if it’s just for a short time. These seniors never stop breaking my heart 💙

12/04/2024

THANK YOU ALL! 💙 We met our donation goal and I couldn’t be more grateful to our loyal supporters who continue to believe in the small part Newman Nation plays in helping local homeless senior pets. Because of ongoing donations, we’re able to admit special needs seniors like 18-year-old Stewie as Forever Fosters and continue covering their medical needs for life. We spend over $50 a month on heart medications for Stewie’s congestive heart failure, in addition to frequent vet check ups (he was in today) for this fragile old man. He wouldn’t have been here and thriving since March without you all!

11/18/2024

As I was making this post to provide an update on today’s surgery, I realized that, in the recent chaos of life, I never introduced this senior!

Meet Tubby, a 10-year-old Pekingese we rescued last month when his owner went into hospice. Despite an outward appearance of sheer perfection, Tubby has a lot going on medically, much of which we addressed today.

So, back to the original point of this post, Tubbs had major surgery today and did great! He was neutered (thank goodness, because one of his testicles had a large tumor), had an a**l mass removed (he’s had them before and hopefully neutering him will put an end to those), had his 3 remaining ROTTEN teeth removed, and an oronasal fistula repaired.

We patched up everything we could and he should start feeling much better and be healthier in the long run, but he will always have very low mobility due to suspected IVDD and osteoarthritis. Luckily, Tubbs is small enough to be carried around like a king and any discomfort is managed with
pain medication.

Since arriving to us, Tubby’s frown has turned upside down (seriously, we’ll post a comment below of what a sad sack he was when we got him) and he’s been living life to the absolute fullest with our Pekingese-obsessed foster, Stephanie.

Once recovered from his procedures, we believe Tubby is an adoption candidate for the right person who wants to tote around a tiny companion who makes dinosaur noises and is always down to just chill.

Tubby’s surgery today was $823.04. Rescue is so hard because our seniors come to us without even the most basic of care like a neuter, which causes a whole host of other issues as they age. He’s worth every penny though if you’d like to donate!

📱Venmo: seniorpetsunited
💰 PayPal: [email protected]

11/12/2024

A classic hot mess Newman Nation senior and ultimate success story, we said goodbye to Forever Foster Lady yesterday after 5 months of pure joy and love. 🌈

We rescued Lady from Winnebago County Animal Services in June after she was found as a “stray.” She was starving at only 7.5lbs, too weak to walk, had rotten teeth and a bad heart, no lower jaw, and spent her first few weeks battling a severe respiratory illness and struggling to breathe. With everything that came Lady’s way, she fought back.

She regained strength and started building up muscle to walk again, gained 2lbs (and an appetite for freshly cooked homemade food around the clock), tried out every possible bed, and let her goofy, sweet, demanding personality shine. She even learned how to high five and loved smacking down her fat paws.

Unfortunately, Lady’s mobility began declining recently until her arthritis became too much for pain medication to manage so we let her go with her dignity.

We’d like to give a huge thank you to Dr. Schmitt and our friends at Animal Hospital of McHenry for helping Lady live her best life with us. Lady was a frequent flier at the vet and took daily heart medication, pain medication, and had a few week period of trying 4 different eye medications when an ulcer (then healed) caused temporary blindness.

Newman Nation has slowed down and no longer does frequent intakes simply due to the cost of neglected senior pet care, but your donations are extremely impactful for every special needs senior like Lady to help them live the most comfortable, pampered life possible. 💕

10/15/2024

After having his right eye removed in June due to glaucoma and the lens luxating, Forever Foster Dobby started having problems with his left eye in August. He lost all vision and we tried 2 months of eye medications to try and heal the inflammation but nothing helped. Since he was already blind, removing Dobby’s remaining eye today only served to bring him comfort and relief. Send good thoughts for an easy recovery! 💙 And thanks to our friends at Animal Hospital of McHenry for always taking the best care of our seniors.

09/26/2024

There's something I need to talk about, and I'm going to try to address it as sensitively as I can.
Our sanctuary was established as a safe haven for senior dogs who have found themselves in unavoidable situations, facing health crisis or homelessness in their twilight years. We have taken in dogs from shelters, strays, owners who are unable to care for them due to their own health, or sadly at the time of their own death.
Owners who would absolutely do anything to change the circumstances so they could keep their dog, but are in unavoidable turmoil and situations outside of their control and the choice has been taken from them.
We have provided sanctuary to dogs who need us, because they have nowhere else to go.

Recently, there has been an uptick in owner requests from people who are missing the point of what we do. We have had requests to surrender nine dogs in the last forty-eight hours. If you have a dog, that you have loved and cared for their entire life, and now just can't bring yourself to handle the inconveniences that come with your dog being a senior...we are not the answer. I don't know how people can forget the faithfulness their dog has provided its entire life, and as their body starts to fail and they need their people the most, they would choose to simply surrender their dog instead of supporting them to the end.

As dogs age, as with any living being, their body starts to deteriorate. Organ function, potty function, vision, hearing, mobility...every life has an expiration date, and as they draw nearer to the end, things just don't work like they used to. At absolutely no fault of their own, you have to consider how the dog is feeling after years of "doing the right thing", that first time they don't make it to the door to potty. Will your dog's "accident" be met with kindness and understanding at that time? Or will you be so tremendously inconvenienced that you decide your dog can't live with you anymore?

I don't think people realize what a dog goes through when they are rehomed after years and years with their family. I can tell you that I have cried, many times, for a dog who sits at the window watching for their family and wondering what they've done wrong to make them lose their home. They do not understand. In their deepest time of need, they just want the same support that they've given their humans all these years.

Another misconception that people have, is that we can do anything differently than they are already doing in their power, to provide anything other than a dignified end when it's time. We get messages, "I have a 15 year old dog who is blind and deaf, he has trouble walking and isn't eating well, and can't control his bowels." There comes a time where people think there's something we can do, and time isn't anything I can battle and win. The kindest and most merciful thing anyone can do for their dog is consider their quality of life and be right by their side when you offer that final gift of mercy. It's very difficult to manage these situations where I feel confident a dog might need to meet Jesus instead of me.

More people need to stay committed to their senior pets, I really don't know how else to say it. Offloading the inconvenience of an old dog is not the answer. People just need to do better. Love your old dogs until the end. They need you.

09/09/2024

Nothing better than the love of a (very) senior cat 🧡 After being returned to us last week after 5 years with his adoptive family, Gumball is feeling more comfortable and affectionate in his new foster home and proving he still has what it takes to tackle a catnip toy.

Gumball’s wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/15PL8EF63XO8I?ref_=wl_share

09/08/2024

It’s Stewie’s 18th birthday and we threw him a Pizza Party Palooza Extravaganza! 🎉🍕 Help us celebrate with a $5 “pizza slice” donation❤️

Stewie joined us as a Forever Foster in March from Heartland Animal Shelter. It was his second time ending up at the kennel after an owner had passed away. He was clearly very loved as evidenced by his comprehensive vet records that stayed with him (where we got his birth date from).

Despite Stewie’s age and being in congestive heart failure, he still sees, gets around perfectly, and has the best appetite. I wish his beloved owners could see how fiercely loved he still is and will be always. Happy birthday Stewie! 1️⃣8️⃣

09/04/2024

If you’ve been on our senior rescue journey from the start, you may remember Gumball. We rescued him in early 2018 after he was found alone in a home a month after his owner had passed and he needed a feeding tube and months of care to get him out of the woods. He was a true senior success story and found his forever home when he was adopted 5 years ago.

Unfortunately, Gumball has come back to Newman Nation after his family was dealing with some health issues and could no longer keep him. We’re incredibly grateful to our foster Madeline who stepped up to take this sweet boy into her home.

Gumball is now probably close to 20 years old and, besides being a skinnier, older version with a few benign lumps and bumps, is his same regal gentleman self. He’ll be evaluated by our vet to see how we can best keep him comfortable but his most recent workup showed him to be pretty darn healthy for his age.

Please send Mister Gummy some love as he decompresses and hopefully settles into a new life and routine soon. 🧡

Gumball's wish list for donations: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/15PL8EF63XO8I?ref_=wl_share

08/28/2024

Lady has now been with us 2 months and she’s gained weight, an attitude, and a big girl voice that she loves to use ❤️🗣️ She’s been at the vet frequently the past two weeks for a painful ulcer in her eye that caused her to go blind in her only seeing eye. She was getting 4 daily eye medications and today at her follow up the vet confirmed her ulcer is healed and she has regained a bit of vision!

08/21/2024

NEW SHIRT ALERT 😍 You can’t go wrong with tie-dye… and there are 5 fun color options to choose from! Wear your scruffy old dog pride and help support the veterinary care of our senior cat and dog fosters ❤️ Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/senior-pet-obsessed-tie-dye/

08/17/2024

ADOPTED! 10-year-old Bobby didn’t have to go far to find his forever home… he actually never left his foster home! Bobby fit in so well and brought so much joy that his foster Tori couldn’t imagine him as anything but a permanent member of her family and we’re thrilled for them both 💙

08/15/2024

08/12/2024

Chip’s dental surgery on Friday was successful and he will feel so much better! Chip had 5 rotten teeth removed and 2 oronasal fistulas repaired. He also had X-rays done to explore his abnormal gait. They showed lumbar spondylosis and major patella issues on both legs but there isn’t anything to do besides continue with daily pain medication as needed.

We haven’t been able to accept any new intakes due to low funds and Chip’s $1.3K surgery and diagnostics are a huge blow (but of course every bit is worth it for his comfort and quality of life!) Even if Chip gets adopted with his $250 adoption fee, it doesn’t nearly start to cover the care we’ve provided him over the last 2 years. We can only continue our care of seniors in need with the generosity of our senior supporters. If you’d like to contribute to our veterinary funds:

📲 Venmo: seniorpetsunited
💸 PayPal: [email protected]
💌 Mail: PO Box 114, Island Lake, IL 60042

Chip has a recheck later this month but should be ready for adoption after that! Anyone interested should apply on our website.