Saving senior, hospice & special needs dogs is not for the faint of heart. It’s a choice. AND it’s a calling. I often describe it as the gravitational pull of the universe - pulling me to the dogs no one else wants. Sometimes, my time with them is short - I am the one chosen to provide the loving arms for a peaceful sendoff into stardust. No dog should have to die alone in an overcrowded shelter. Other times, it’s a longer journey.
This is Fran. She’s my “longer journey”. She’s been fostering with me 5 months now. Most of you know that my dogs generally get adopted within 2 weeks. I rescued Fran from a southern shelter where she spent her entire life in an outdoor enclosure. All EIGHT years of it.
Fran has had a tough time adjusting to life in a home. So it’s been my job as her guardian to show her patience, compassion and gentle guidance. And to make sure she feels loved and safe. I move at her pace. I ask nothing of her. I observe her. I listen to what she’s communicating to me. And then I slowly introduce new things and see what she enjoys and will tolerate. This helps me determine what she’ll be capable of in an adoptive home.
I gave her four full months of decompression before I decided that she deserved better living through chemistry. Since she wasn’t able to regulate her own nervous system and lived in a constant state of hyper-vigilance, we started Prozac to ease her anxiety about the world. Within a month, she was slowly but surely participating more and hiding less. Blooming like a spring flower. And here she is, asking for affection and allowing gentle pets instead of running away from me.
I can’t wait for someone to see what I see when they look at her - a gentle old soul seeking safety, love and calmness. Given her past, Fran isn’t going to offer the kind of relationship most people are seeking with a companion animal. She’ll co-exist seamlessly with you but isn’t going to run to the door and cover you with kisses
Mother Nature has filled our summer with thunderstorms & humidity, mosquitoes & horse flies and hotter temperatures than any of us would really prefer. But we always find ways to stay cool during our SNIFFari Adventures. Feast your eyes on our wet, happy farm hiking mutts!
#madisondogma #hikingdogsofinsta #optoutside #farmhikes #wetdogsmell #mustlovedogs #petcareservices #petcareprofessionals #farmdogsofinsta #dogfriends
Just a short clip of Josephine breathing. You’re welcome.
#madisondogma #homeboarding #homeboardingfordogs #bernedoodles #dogsitterlife #petcareservices #petcareprofessionals
Splash Pad
#madisondogma #hikingdogsofinsta #optoutside #hunterboots #sniffariadventures #wetdogsmell #farmlife
For your viewing pleasure: The Queen Bea getting pushed in her Royal stroller with her loyal subjects close by to tend to her every need.
#madisondogma #doggystroller #olddogsmakegreatnewfriends #adoptdontshop #homeboardingfordogs #optoutside #petcareservices
What healthy snacks do your pups enjoy? Beans LOVES peppers. Really she would eat any/all veggies, but peppers are her favorite. Don’t you just love her precious crunching?
#madisondogma #rescuedogsofinsta #healthysnacks #foreverdogbook #seniordogsofinsta
