Dog Rescue Stories - Dear Old Dogs

All animals and their suffering profoundly moves AAS, but old dogs are especially dear to us. For many years, we have rescued and looked after them. But we can't bear to "rescue" a dog only to put it down before it's had all the happiness we can give it. Maybe it is those calm, accepting, old-dog-eyes; the eyes we can't resist. So it's time we told you a bit about some of them...

Reserve dog rescue stories:

Chance

This dear old boy spent his life, possibly ten years, on a lonely chain in a dirty yard, below 40 in Winter and scorching in Summer. He howled at night for most of those years. Did anyone care? No one did anything until an AAS rescuer did.

Eddy

He was seen in the freezing rain, his tether was tangled and he stood there, his head down, drenched to the skin.

Ellie

Under heavy dark cedar boughs at the bottom of a cold backyard, a chained dog spent her life. The trees were her shelter, a hole in the dirt her bed. Sometimes she was given water, but mostly she drank muddy rainwater. Sometimes she was given food, but often she starved.

Gertie

Like so many dogs, Gertie was very sick and neglected when she came to AAS. Her neighbour, who had seen her outside, sometimes chained, sometimes loose, for many years, watched in the last few year as Gertie got more and more stiff and shaky. But still she was never allowed in the house.

Gypsy

The call was like so many calls. A very ill old dog was going to be surrendered to the pound/"shelter" where she would almost certainly spend her last days in a prison cell before being put down. She had been seen for many years plodding along farm roads, her coat soaked and matted, her ears, filled with lumps of hardened bloody puss...

Holly

Lucky Holly's life improved drastically under Lyn's care. She went from being largely sedentary and overweight with chronically painful infected ears, to being a lively, active, healthy, old girl.

Judith

10 years on a chain. No blanket, toy, or bone. Often no clean food or water. AAS first saw her at night, lying in the frozen mud, being snowed and sleeted on. Lying in her own feces, surrounded by her own excrement.

Keiko and Donas

Two dear old dogs whose life-long happiness was only marred by the pain of broken and decayed teeth and how AAS made sure that they live out their lives, with their loved-ones, free of pain...

Sandy

We saw Sandy on an SPCA web site that said he was an old abandoned dog, with diarrhea that wouldn't stop and not doing well. We sent a supporter in to buy him...

Tippi

Tippi was sold by the SPCA for $110.00 to an AAS supporter with her teeth in this condition. We had her back x-rayed, we did a geriatric blood panel to determine her general state of health (good except she has a slight heart murmur that is not slowing her down at all, but may require medication in the future) and we had her plaque-covered teeth cleaned and two rotten teeth removed at a cost of $563.00.

Related links:

There has been such a flood of appeals for help this year that we may not be able to reply very quickly or at all to more appeals. AAS is now so well-known for its experience in all animal welfare and rescue matters that we are asked for advice and help from all over BC, Canada, the U.S. and the world. For years I have answered each and every appeal with detailed advice that I have learned from 20 years of rescue, advocacy and animal law. Our high standards are well-known to the public, that is why we are so often asked for help and advice. We are currently working on so many projects that I am sorry to have to say that we may not be able to respond to all the cries for help we hear as quickly as we want to.

AAS ethical standards are simple and straightforward, but a lot of work: Every rescued dog is given the exact same love and care that I give my own dogs. Anything less can't be morally justified. To weigh the costs, to kill, or to rehome without paying to make the dog well in body and spirit is not true animal welfare: it's moving as much product as fast as possible and to demand money for unwell product is a business, not a calling.

Judy Stone

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