The St. Louis Senior Dog Project

A Senior Dog? Yes!

Welcome to the St. Louis Senior Dog Project Blog.  We’re a not-for-profit  dog rescue organization specializing in older dogs, but taking in dogs of all ages, including puppies.  Our 2009 Calendar is now available for $10.  Come by one of our weekly adoption events at the Kirkwood Petco Store and purchase as many as you need.  Great stocking stuffers!

Ellen’s Notes:

                Saturday we found a home for a 14-year-old 3-legged dog.  Tripod had spent 13 years in a research facility as a “flavor tester.” She’d been there longer than all of the current employees.  No one even remembered how she’d lost her leg.  Now, finally, she has a real home.  Talk about a happy ending.  Talk about someone doing something wonderful for an older dog.

                Saturday we also adopted out Shiloh, a 10-year-old dog who’d lost his former owner to a nursing home.  Another person just wanted to give a good home to an older dog.

                If all’s right with the universe, these people will earn some extra points for a pleasant afterlife. That would be my wish.

                I’m now hoping that these two examples will inspire some of the rest of you to take home a senior dog.  Why?  Because it just isn’t fair to overlook a dog because you won’t have as many years with it.  The time you will have with your senior dog might be better than the 15 or more years you might spend with a puppy.

                So please consider Diana (pictured),Rusty, Sassy,and Sooner – to name four more “flavor testers.”  They range in age from 9 to 14 years and are all nice dogs.  They come with a year’s supply of heartworm preventative and we’re asking only for a minimum donation of $50 and a promise that you’ll spoil them and love them every day from now on.

                And don’t overlook Penny Perfect, an 8 or 9 year old beagle/rat terrier who lost her former owner to a nursing home. Then there’s Max, a grey poodle we found at a local shelter after his owner died. 

                Dixie,the  senior German Shorthaired Pointer, will need a new home as soon as she gains some weight and regains her health.   She was half-starved when we took her in. 

                Penny is a senior Pomeranian who just wants a home to call her own.

                And then there’s Tippy, a 12-year-old Yellow Labrador Retriever.  Tippy was a  happy well-cared-for dog for most of her life.  Then her owner died and Tippy found herself turned in to a shelter.  Tippy was growiing progressively more depressed there, but  as soon as we took her out,  her tail found its wag.  She went home with a new foster.  The foster announced today that she just can’t live without Tippy.  I lose a foster, but Tippy finds a home.

                Sometimes it happens that way. It’s Love. It could happen to you.

                Check out some of these dogs at www.olderbetter.petfinder.org. 

Ellen  Ellick

President/Founder

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

EllenE9466@aol.com

               

Meet Dixie...and More

Welcome to the St. Louis Senior Dog Project Blog.  We’re a not-for-profit dog rescue organization specializing in older dogs, but taking in dogs of all ages – even puppies.  Visit our adoptable pets at www.olderbetter.petfinder.org.  Our 2009 Calendars are now available for purchase at $10 a calendar.  This annual fundraiser helps us pay our bills.  Please come by one of our adoption events (every Saturday 11 to 3 at the Kirkwood Petco) or email, call or mail in order. 

 

Ellen’s Notes:

 few days ago we took in a half-starved German Shorthaired Pointer named Dixie.  Barely more than a skeleton, she’s in pretty sad shape and will need plenty of care, love, good food, medicine, and rest to bring her back to health.  Right now she’s with her new foster mom, Terry.  We think Dixie is about 10 years old.  From the familiar way she climbed into my lap while we were driving to the vet, I’d guess she once was someone’s pet.  Someone loved her , and someone will again.  Make that many someones.  We’re all pulling for her, and we’re thankful to the Grey Muzzle Foundation for covering her veterinary expenses.  We hope soon to replace her “before” picture with new ones of a plumper Dixie who’s  again ready to run.

Recently I wrote about Gloria, a little rat terrier with two broken legs.  She’s now completely recovered from her surgery and will go to a new home this weekend.  Her new name will be Olive.

And remember the dogs we’ve been taking in from a research facility?  These are senior dogs who’ve lived most of their lives in a facility which is now closing. This is their chance to spend their golden years as pets.  We’ve taken in eight and will probably add one or two more.  One is adopted and another might go to a new home this weekend.  Spread the word , check out their pictures on our website, and help us find them home.  These are nice dogs who really deserve good homes.  They come with a year’s supply of heartworm preventative and a starter supply of food. 

And did I mention puppies?  Here’s a picture of a black puppy we knew as Miley, now Abby Cadabby.  She’s still on the small side, but we can’t say that about the former Opal, now Lexie, a Great Pyranese/Lab mix.  She was actually the little girl of the litter, but her new family can barely remember her ever being little.  She is already an obedience school graduate and a “great puppy—very smart,” according to Scott and Molly.  She's shown here after a romp in the mud.

Finally, it’s been more than a year since Jack, a very shy schnauzer found a home.  Tonya remembers that he hid in the corners of the yard and would not make eye contact.  He flinched if you reached out to touch him. One year, three escape attempts and countless flinches, he’s now “a pet whom we love and who loves us.”  Tonya says to all who adopt shy dogs: “Don’t give up.”

And that’s all for now.  Don’t forget those calendars.

Ellen Ellick

President/Founder

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

EllenE9466@aol.com

Violet's Story

Welcome to the St. Louis Senior Dog Project Blog.  Visit our adoptable pets at www.olderbetter.petfinder.org.  Our 2009 calendar will be available soon!  We're continuing to hold weekly Saturday adoption events 11 to 3 at the Kirkwood (MO) Petco store.  Come on by and visit!  Bring your dog.  And read on to hear Violet's story....and see her seasonally appropriate picture.

Ellen's Notes:

Violet is a former puppymill dog who was adopted in March.  Her name is now Mazy and her new owners describe her as "a blessing. "

 

Tiffany tells us, "Mazy was definitely a challenge in the beginning.  She was very skittish around us for a long time, but she slowly warmed up.  At first she urinating in her crate when we were gone.  We knew this would take time to fix because that is all she was used to.  We really thought about giving up during the first few months as she was not warming up to us and seemed very distant.  Then it seemed like all of a sudden she would want to sit by us and was telling us when she needed to go outside, a huge change from what we were used to!

"It's an amazing relationship we have now.  Mazy and Destiny [their other shih tzu]get along great.  Destiny is not a puppy mill dog. We'd had her for about 4 years before Mazy came along, so it was an adjustment for her too.  They are great together though -- like two pees in a pod!  Mazy is still having trouble playing.  She doesn't quite get the hang of it yet, but she'll come around.  She always wants to be on our lap or the sofa.  She follows us around everywhere we go. She and Destiny are always together.  We are so glad we rescued Mazy and gave her a loving home.  We can't picture our lives without her!  "

 

I'll be catching up on a few other adoption stories next time.

 

Ellen Ellick

President/Founder

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

EllenE9466@aol.com

 

 

 

The Six Stages of Zoe

Welcome to the St. Louis Senior Dog Project Blog.  Pleasee check out our adoptable pets at www.olderbetter.petfinder.org.  And ready on to hear about Zoe, a little white dog who'd spent most of her life in a puppymill before going home with Suzanne Murdoch and family.  The Murdoch's weren't new to pet adoption. They already shared their home with Sammy, a puppymill reject adopted 10 years ago.  Suzanne sent us the following story about how Zoe became their newest pet.  She calls it "The Six Stages of Adoption."

1. Polite Interest

A few weeks ago a co-worker who had been fostering dogs for some years showed me a picture of a little white dog she was caring for.  "She's real sweet," Virginia said.  "Do you think you might be interested?"  Well, that was an innocent enough question which called for a definite answer.  "Well, I don't know, " I answered, "maybe." "Why don't you come and see her this weekend?  We're having an adoption event."  Well, I could t hink of all sorts of reasons this was probably not a good time, but what could it hurt?  "I'll talk to my husband, " I replied. "We can probaby come."

2. Skepticism

On Saturday my husband and I and Emily, our youngest daughter, traveled the 35 miles to see her.  Before we even reached the front door, we could see several dogs being walked through the parking lot -- whether by volunteers or prospective families I wasn't sure.  This couldn't be good.  We had a dog, and she was perfect.  Once inside, I saw her immediately.  She was a puppy mill momma, coming from 4-5 years in a crate, devoted to having babies and doing little else.  Her fur was long and matted with two anomalous wispy apricot patches like a wide belt on her sides, sticking out straight and course through her creamy curly coat.  She had been drooling -- a lot, probably exaggerated by a recent tooth extraction, the fur on her face laced with long wet brown streaks.  Her eyes were lovely -- smoky, big, and brown.  She nosed around nervously and alternately sat and got up, obviously unsure of what to do or who we were.  Emily loved her immediately.

3. Procrastination

She wasn't Sammy.  We needed to think, really think, about this.  David suggested we bring Sammy sometime soon and visit Virginia to see how it might work.   Virginia simply said, "I understand.  You need a trial period. Take her home for a week or two and see.  Give her at least a week."  Well, this wasn't the plan.  "But we don't have a leash or a way to secure her in our car How wil we get her home?" I protested.  "In my loving arms, " Emily quickly asserted.  Virginia handed us the leash.  I was out of excuses.

4. Irritation

Emily held her, dog drool leaving lavish wet pools on my daughter's jeans.  On the way home, we named her Zoe.  Surprisingly, the dreaded first meeting with Sammy on our front lawn went smoothly with wagging tails and a few "getting to know you" sniffs.  That first day was a disaster.  As soon as we brought her in the house, she relieved herself.  Grass held no charm for her; fortunately she found the perfect place to take care of her needs -- on our many hand-loomed Turkish rugs.  Scraping up inchoate mess after mess, I fumed.  Walking her involved an elaborately choreographed dance, alternately spinning, ducking, and unthreading the tangled lines.  Zoe still steadfastly refused to share any of her bodily products with the great outdoors.  What were we thinking?

5. Bargaining

By Monday evening, I was done.  We had made a mistake, and we needed to return her.  David agreed.  "We agreed to a week, though," he rightly cautioned.  I hate it when he's right, and I reluctantly agreed.  We were to keep her just a little longer.  Astonishingly, as we acclimated and Emily lavished her with love, the accidents were fewer, and we all relaxed.  It had only been a few days, but we were making progress.

6. Home at Last

By Wednesday, it was done. I couldn't remember what had given me pause.  Today, short days later, she is fearless, having mastered the stairs, house training, but not the leash.  She is wonderful company for Sammy -- despite her occasional lapse of judgment and Sammy's need to issue a quick correction.  The other day, our oldest daughter accidentally dropped Zoe's retractable lead and, as it jerked her way, she (Zoe) took off like a shot with her plastic pursuer skittering gamely after her.  I thought we wouldn't see her again, and my heart sank.  At the end of our cul-de-sac, she made an abrupt u-turn, and I held my breath.  Now a white blur raced down the opposite length of our street, making a beeline to our front door, the leash battered but still attached.  She was home.

Several months have passed since Suzanne wrote this piece.  All is well and Zoe continues to be a beautiful ( picture is proof) member of the Murdoch family. Thanks for the story, Suzanne.  And good for you, Zoe.

Ellen Ellick

President/Founder

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

EllenE9466@aol.com

Catching Up

Welcome to the St. Louis Senior Dog Project blog.  Visit our website at www.olderbetter.petfinder.org.  And read on. 

Ellen's Notes:

                I have some catching up to do.  My inbox is full of pictures and messages about dogs that have been adopted from us.  I’ll tell about a few of them today.

                                                                       

I’ve been working on finding foster homes for the dogs I wrote about last time – the ones losing their not-so-great home at a research facility.  Two are already in foster homes in St. Louis (Sooner and Lady).  Both are doing well and may have possible adoptions in the works.  The other four are heading our way.  I think I have temporary fosters for all…..but they all still need forever homes.  They deserve it.  Spread the word.
    
I’ve also been receiving a lot of calls about “economy dogs” – dogs losing their homes because their owners are losing theirs.   One such is Sassy, the blonde and white spaniel mix.  She’s 10 years old and doesn’t know it.   Doc, a 15-year-old black spaniel mix also lost his home for the same reason.

              

Good news and bad news. Gloria, the little dog with two broken legs, is recovering nicely from surgery.   A couple more weeks and she’ll be ready for adoption. Thank you to all her contributed to her special fund.

             

Brody, another recent rescue from the St. Louis City Pound, has a more serious problem.  A tumor on his gums turned out to be cancerous.  We’re taking him to see an oncologist and hope there might be some help for him. 

               

And now for the inbox:

Gus is a Great Pyrennes/Lab mix puppy who can smile.  Honest.   See picture.  Jill says Gus is best friends with another dog they adopted from us.  Both are now working with a dog trainer who uses clicker training.  “The dogs love it, I love it, and it is really fun and easy.”            

 Rosie was part of another litter of puppies that somehow ended up with the Senior Dog Project.  April tells us that “since the day she entered our lives, she has brought us nothing but love and laughter. She is the friendliest, silliest, cutest dog I have ever met.  We recently discovered that she also has a lovely singing voice.”

 

 And here is a picture of Isabelle.     Ashley tells us Isabelle “has the weirdest sounding bark we have ever heard.  Sometimes we get her going just for some laughs.  She is so eager to please and just wants to be loved.”

                Next time: All about a little white dog named Zoe.

Ellen Ellick

President/Founder

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

EllenE9466@aol.com

The Impossible (Dog) Dream

Welcome to the St. Louis Senior Dog Project Blog.  Check out our adoptable dogs at www.olderbetter.petfinder.org.  And read on about our seeming impossible dream for several dogs.  Maybe someone can help.

Ellen's Notes

This might be impossible. 

I’m trying to figure out some way to help some very senior dogs who’ve spent most of their lives in a research facility.

Not that kind…not the really bad kind.  No, these dogs have been testing flavors used to make dog food more palatable to their canine brothers and sisters.   Trouble is, they don’t have much experience being just plain pets.  They’ve been living in a kennel and don’t even know much about getting along with other dogs.

And now they’re about to lose their home.  Another company has bought out their company and is about to close their kennel.  The new company doesn’t need these old dogs but does want to find them all homes.

And that’s where we come in.  Can we help?

Not easily.  Most of these dogs are over age 10 and most are nervous around other dogs ( not aggressive, really, but nervous about other dogs that get in their faces).  Why does the word “impossible” keep surfacing.

Rusty is 14 years old..a small to medium sized mixed breed – a handsome reddish-gold.  He loves it when the girls who take care of him stop by for a visit. He wishes they could stay longer.  He doesn’t particularly care for some of the other dogs he’s met here but thinks he could like another dog if he was somewhere quiet and safe.  A calm happy home might make everything okay.

Athena is 10 years old and 72 pounds – a big girl, a black lab mix.  She lives with another dog now or rather lets him live with her.  She walks well on a leash and is pretty calm ad well behaved.  She thinks she’d be fine around older kids.

Robyn is 14 years old, a beagle/shepherd mix, maybe.  She loves her humans.  She also doesn’t seem to know she’s an old lady.  She loves to play and explore.  She’s very affectionate and would love to have a family of her own.  She’s quiet and friendly to everyone but doesn’t like other dogs coming into her space, but if they don’t bother her, she doesn’t bother them.  She would probably do well with children.

Sooner is about 10 years old.  He’s a medium-sized collie mix who is friendly with people and okay with other dogs.  He even  initiates play with other dogs.  Sooner has a thyroid problem but will come with a year’s supply of his medication.

Then there’s Lady.  She’s a senior beagle mix.  She has a little trouble keeping her weight down, so she appreciates her daily exercise.   Lady’s friendly with people but nervous around young active dogs.  She’s okay around older, calmer dogs.

 


Sassy is an 11 –year-old hound mix.  She’s friendly with people but nervous with other dogs. She’d sure love to be someone’s pet.

And there are others.

Ideas anyone?

Is anyone ready to dream the impossible dream?

 

 

The Story of Alex

Welcome to the St. Louis Senior Dog Project Blog. See our adoptable dogs at www.olderbetter.petfinder.org. We'd like to thank the Build-A-Bear Foundation for its grant to help us pay veterinary expenses for senior dogs.  The Build-A- Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation is committed to making life more bearable for children, families and pets, in need of a helping paw 

Ellen's Notes:

    I remember him as Hubert (the name I gave him).  Even in a pen at the Jefferson County Pound, he was all doggy wags and wiggles.  Now he's Alex and  here's what Julia tells us about Alex.  Julie's Westie had been gone for a few years, and she was now ready to find a new friend.

"I had been thinking about different breeds’ characteristics and looking at the corresponding rescue sites for about a year.  After a couple of months of not looking, I went online and there he was. It sounds silly, but the minute I saw his photo, I knew he was my pup. I went to meet him at his foster home and saw how wonderful he was with the other cats and dogs and children in the home."     It took one evening for Julie to get over her concern about taking home what she thought of as a "big dog." She was soon looking for a better name than Hubert, which he didn't seem to know.     "I let him pick a different {name}. I had several in mind and used them each, one by one, for days until he decided which to respond to. And, so the no-name-wonder-dog became “Alex.” I cannot tell you how wonderful he is. Sure, there have been challenges and I have gotten more exercise, spending hours on the floor, every night, helping him learn things, than I ever anticipated. But, he learns so incredibly fast, and he now loves to go in the car, loves his kennel (choosing to lie in it rather than any other room in the rest of the house or his bed), plays hide-and-seek, and performs his repertoire of tricks in attempts to get a treat. He has become more accustomed to lying next to me rather than always guarding me from a 6-foot distance.     "Don’t get me wrong, he still likes to strike fear into every passing bird and investigate every old-house creak, but I believe he is feeling more safe and chooses to be near me, not cuddled but beside me. My 38 lb. pup does sometimes think he is a lap dog as he tries to make himself small enough to really fit on my lap.     "A month after Alex came into my world, I lost my partner, a man I had known for 5 years. Alex has been a key point in my dealing with this loss. He is a remarkable pup. People hear me talk and think I am exaggerating – surely I am a little biased – I answer that he is not a perfect dog, he is the perfect dog for me. I am so very grateful for your rescuing him and I wanted you to see him now."     And what a beautiful picture of Alex.   Ellen Ellick President/Founder St. Louis Senior Dog Project

 

Lucky Dogs/Smart Dogs

Welcome to the St. Louis Senior Dog Project Blog.  We’d like your help with a couple things:  We need sponsors for our 2009 Calendar.  Sponsor a month for $250 and we’ll give you and/or your business credit on the calendar.  We also need items to sell on our new eBay site.   And don’t forget to check out our adoptable dogs at www.olderbetter.petfinder.org.            

Ellen’s Notes

                Maybe it was the way he tilted his head to one side that saved his life.  Whatever it was, Monty the Smartest Dog in the World (as his foster mom describes him) is alive against all odds.  And so are three other dogs that might otherwise have died with Monty in the same rural shelter.

                It was a marvelous tilt, a mathematician-thoughtfully-frowning-at-formulas-on-a- blackboard sort of tilt.  It was a give-me-a-minute-I-think-I’ve-got-it tilt.  It was a Big-Brown-Dog-figuring-out-what he-had-to-do-to-receive-the-hotdogs-from-the-dog-trainer tilt.  It was an adorable tilt, inspiring aahs from those of us in the audience.

                And then Monty figured it out and slowly lowered himself to the floor.  He received his hot dogs and won the heart of one important person in the audience, our volunteer Kati, who has an almost pathological attraction to the least adoptable dogs out there -- including Big Brown Dogs.  So Monty and three other dogs got lucky.

                Monty’s life-saving head tilt happened during a workshop in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where volunteers from several shelters and rescue organizations (including St. Louis Senior Dog Project) ended the day by watching a demonstration by a well-known dog trainer.    The trainer used four “problematic” dogs from a local shelter to demonstrate her techniques.   In this case, “problematic” meant no one wanted to adopt them; they were now out of time and scheduled for euthanasia the following week.

                Besides Monty, we saw Dinah, a brown-eyed Husky mix, show off what she already knew.  We laughed at a fluffy collie mix trying to simultaneous watch both the trainer and the audience.  And we sighed at a little black dog who only wanted to be held, so depressed was she that she’d lost the wag in her tail.   

                Fate intervened that day for these four dogs.  They made it out of that shelter alive.  The little black dog got her wag back and found a forever home.  Dinah is recovering from heartworm treatment at my place and is one of the quietest, best-behaved dogs I’ve ever had in my home.  The collie mix is with another rescue organization.

                And Monty?  The Smartest Dog in the World is at Kati’s home continuing to earn hotdogs with his doggy tricks.

                One thing we learn from rescue work is the role of plain dumb luck.  Sometimes ending up in a shelter turns out to be a lucky break for a formerly neglected dog that finds its way into a marvelous new home.   But just as often – or probably more often -- it’s just one more bad break in a life of bad breaks.  Sometimes the right person falls for a dog that nobody else appreciates.   And just as often, a perfectly fine dog dies unseen and unloved.

                We wish every dog could be a lucky dog. 

                Monty and Dinah are ready for their forever homes.  They’ll both be at our adoption event at the Kirkwood Petco Saturday 11 to 3.  

Ellen Ellick

President

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

EllenE9466@aol.com

There is a dog....

Welcome to the St. Louis Senior Dog Project blog. See our adoptable pets at www.olderbetter.petfinder.org .
The picture is a first birthday picture of two "surprise" puppies born at my home/to Trina, a dog rescued from the City Pound. Trina was suffering from pneumonia and receiving treatment, but nobody noticed her special condition until she suprised us with five puppies. Mother and babies all survived and found good homes. These two were adopted together to the Guyre family. After admiring the picture, read another guest column by Kati Bishop.

Those of us in rescue receive numerous calls and emails from people wanting us to rescue a dog at risk. Trouble is, we can only take a few. Read on:
 
by Kati Bishop

One of my (many) favorite dog people, Randy Grim, the founder of St. Louis Stray Rescue, once said, “It is no longer enough to stand in the street, pointing and exclaiming, ‘there’s a dog’ (that is starving/bleeding/beaten/homeless/needs help RIGHT NOW!). For the dog to receive help, you need to do your part, step up, and help us help the dog.” 

In order for rescue organizations to do their job, it is imperative that for every dog taken in, there is a volunteer to help care for the dog, and money must be found to pay the vet bills. And that is only the start. And yet every day, Ellen gets calls and emails from many people who say to us “there’s a dog..”And sure enough there in the email will be a link to a dog in a pound three states away, scheduled for euthanasia if you don’t do something! Sometimes the dog is one we can easily help, and of a type that is not all that common. If they are in a local shelter chances are good that they are scheduled for euthanasia.

Of course, the St. Louis Senior Dog Project has several volunteers who specialize in hard to place dogs. We have volunteers, for example who really only want to foster puppymill dogs, and one home where there is a preference for the ubiquitous hound. But the hounds stay for a year –(don’t know why – I used to be the hound person and I love ‘em!), and the mill dogs can take weeks or months to get ready for adoption. Most often a call from somebody wanting us to help a dog will be asked to foster that dog until it is placed. If the dog is elderly and we can foresee huge vet bills, a donation will be in order, and even a condition of accepting the dog. Occasionally other rescuers will get on the bandwagon and really pressure us to take a senior dog who seems placeable enough, then turns out to be heart worm positive ( read: an automatic vet bill that will alone be twice the adoption fee.) Unfortunately these same rescuers are in no position to help with the vet bills.

So, the next time you see a dog that needs help by all means, give us a call right after you step up to the plate, take a stance and open your heart and home to a dog needing help.

Thank again, Katie, and thanks to all who may decide to take up the challenge.

Ellen Ellick

President

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

EllenE9466@aol.com

Kingsley, Brandi & Baxter

Welcome to the St. Louis Senior Dog Project blog. See our adoptable pets at www.olderbetter.petfinder.org. And read on to hear about a few dogs now in happy homes.

Ellen's Notes: "I guess I'm writing because I see and hear about so many peope giving up on their pets if they don't behave a certain way immediately....and it is a shame."

That's what Julie wrote in a recent email. She wanted us to know about recent developments with a shih tzu we'd called Firecracker (now Kingsley). Firecracker/Kingsley was a puppymill rescue."Shy" didn't go far enough to describe his behavior.

When Julie adopted Kingsley last November, she was at first disappointed that he wasn't more affectionate.

"He has always been a good dog but was definitely not wanting to give or get any affection at all. We had all but given up on him being a cuddly dog and decided that even though we really wanted an affectionate dog - he had a lot of other great attributes. To our surprise, over the past month or two, he has started to show SO much affection. Cuddling, jumping up in our laps, showing jealousy when his brother "Jekyll Hyde" gets attention, and giving us crazy, uncontrollable kisses.It has been awesome."

It's true that some dogs need more time than others to get comfortable in their new homes. It's also true that some dogs, especially puppy mill dogs and others that have been neglected or abused, may never completely recover from their mistrust of humans. Thankfully, Julie and family had decided to accept him as he was, so it was a bonus when this little dog became affectionate.

Julie concluded, "I think if more people would understand that dogs (just like humans) need time to adjust to their new surroundings before they can settle into any normalcy, less people would give up on them so early.

We also received a picture this week of two dogs we'd adopted out as puppies.

Jim sent us the latest picture of Brandi (formerly Cupid), and Baxter. Both came out of shelters. Brandi is the mainly white dog.

Thanks to all. And Keep in touch.

Ellen Ellick

President

St. Louis Senior Dog Project

EllenE9466@aol.com