Pelican Parts Forums - The DOG thread

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We didn’t adopt him to live a long life.
We adopted him to have a peaceful ending.
I know that sounds harsh… but it’s the truth.
His name is Bandit.
He’s a 12-year-old Blue Heeler with cloudy eyes, slower sturdy steps, and a blue-speckled coat now dusted with gray that quietly tells the story of many hardworking years.
The shelter labeled him “Hospice Foster.”
His previous family surrendered him because he “slept too much” and struggled to keep up.
So when we brought him home, we prepared ourselves for goodbye.
Orthopedic beds in every room.
Gentle walks instead of long runs.
Quiet evenings. Gentle mornings.
We thought we were giving an old Blue Heeler a peaceful place to spend his final weeks.
But Bandit had other plans.
Week one, he slept.
The deep kind of sleep that only comes when fear finally leaves your body.
Week two, something shifted.
He realized he wasn’t going back to a kennel.
This wasn’t temporary.
This was home.
Week three… he found the toy.
Not a fancy toy.
Not expensive.
Just a small, worn plush that somehow became the most important thing in the world to him.
And that’s when the “dying” Blue Heeler disappeared.
The dog who “could barely walk” started trotting proudly through the house with that toy in his mouth.
The dog who “slept too much” started greeting us at the door every morning, tail wagging like he had something important to show us.
And every night, he curls up just like this — holding it close while he sleeps.
Like he finally has something worth protecting.
That’s when we realized something.
Bandit wasn’t fading because of age.
He was exhausted from loneliness.
From cold floors.
From being left behind.
Now he’s 12 years old.
He still tries to sneak food off the counter when we’re not looking.
He beats us to the backyard door.
And that same stuffed toy never leaves his side.
We thought we were giving a senior Blue Heeler a gentle goodbye.
Instead…
He reminded us that sometimes love doesn’t just comfort a life.
Sometimes it brings it back.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1773283683.jpg

(shared from a FB post)
Both my girls almost made it to 17.....

Now that spring is almost here, it's a good time to clean behind your couch.
You never know what you might find there.

<iframe width="358" height="636" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m3J9vW10r1g" title="Found a Secret Puppy Squad Behind My Couch! 🛋️" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baz (Post 12620188)

Baz, thank you for such a well written heartfelt post. I have come back to this more than once. Just wanted to let you know, A nice interlude from the usual .....

You know how they say dogs become like their humans? A while ago I cracked a tooth, cracked too far to root canal and crown, so I ended up having it pulled. Now Winnie has followed my lead, and she has cracked a tooth. She's getting it pulled on Monday. The only problem is she doesn't have dental insurance.

She had a pre-check today, and the tech shared a story with my wife. She was coming home the other night and saw a broken kennel by the side of the road with a "free" sign on it. She stopped to check it out, and these four siblings were inside. She scooped them up and brought them to one of the local rescues. They are now looking for foster homes. They're thinking maybe border collie / cattle dog.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1774068209.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1774101927.jpg

I sent this pic from the other day to the breeder and she said "Yes, her Princess Diana look."

Baz, your story took me back twenty years to a post by the SPCA in the next province about dogs seized from a puppy mill. One Sheltie had spent the three years of her life in a crate. After she weaned the litter she was carrying at the time of the seizure, we were given permission to make the 11 hour round trip to pick her up. She was gentle in her fear, not socialized, could only walk a few yards before having to rest and had no idea how to negotiate stairs. In the dog and cat rich environment of our home she became herself. Each summer I keep walking trails mowed around the marsh and it was truly delightful to see her tail waving above the tall grass along the pathway as she exercised her right to take herself for a walk. My wife named her Gaia.
We lost her to cancer after a time, but she got to be a country dog and she loved it.

Sheba super interested in the squirrel near the top of this pic:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1775258539.jpg

Came back 10 minutes later to follow up:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1775258573.jpg

Molly the border collie rescued after a week waiting for injured owner in New Zealand’s remote backcountry

A rescue mission involving volunteer helicopter crew and public donations ended in joy after Molly was located and brought home

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baz (Post 12629971)

Great outcome. Amazing that Molly's owner wasn't more badly injured from her fall.

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Molly was incredibly calm for this pickup. Maybe her energy level was way down after being on her own for that long. She looks almost identical to our 5 y/o BC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by billybek (Post 12630425)

Glad you saw this story, Bill. I was thinking of you when I saw Molly was a Border Collie. What an amazing breed!

These folks are heroes too. :)

The puppy is learning to (sometimes) respect the old cat's space.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1775475930.jpg