DEAR OLD DOGS DESERVE A CHANCE 
NOT LIFE AND DEATH ON A CHAIN

Chance's videos: Chance at Ambleside | Chance goes to the office

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.

We named him Chance because he's getting a chance at happiness and health at last - thanks to the rescuer, and to AAS, and to all the lovely animal-lovers who want AAS to help dogs like Chance.

Please make a donation for Chance  if you can.  If he stays in his foster home we are committed to all his expenses for the rest of his life.  Or you can just make it to "AAS's Dear Old Dogs" Fund because we are committed to other old dears too.

AAS immediately had a geriatric blood panel, a fecal sample, an exam, and an urinalysis done. He was starving (the vet's word) so that may account for his anemia and mildly elevated liver enzymes. He's on a high-quality gastro diet which he is taking well. In a few weeks the blood work will be done again to see if eating has improved some of the original findings.

His teeth and gums are in good condition.

Chance is so glad and grateful that he tries to bounce with happiness when he's greeted, but after a lifetime on a chain, he is still learning to share space with other dogs.

Chance is happy to be on the road, looking forward to freedom and a new life while being driven down to AAS from up North

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first thing he does in his new foster home at AAS is to choose a bone from the buffet of bones in every room
I knew he'd love feeling secure at my feet in his own den under an AAS desk so I made him a soft bed for old poor nobby body.  AAS's home is almost as much dog-bed as it is floor. Every room has a toy-box full of balls and stuffies and chewies and, of course, bones.
 

Blood work showed that starvation took its toll on Chance.  Kidney and liver levels are concerning, but it's our hope that tempting food will get him eating regularly and some comfortable padding on his nobby old bones. 

He is learning to tell me when he has to go out, so the floods are receding; though it's still a good idea in the morning to turn on the lights in a room before going into it!  But he's getting there, the dear old guy.  He shares attention with several other dogs in the AAS home.  The cruciate ligament in one knee was destroyed long ago (possibly from repeated jumping at a fence) and is no longer painful though it makes him hobble slightly.  In spite of his lame knee Chance is so glad and grateful for affection that he tries to bounce with happiness when he's greeted. And in spite of his lonely life, he loves play, and people, and walkies, hobbling as fast as he can to the front door with the gang when the leashes come out.

For the first few days Chance would eat very little no matter what gourmet meals I tempted him with.  Five different kibbles, many different canned foods, cooked turkey, chicken and beef, all failed to make him do more than nibble.
But when I threw his food onto the ground he ate it all and looked anxiously at me for more.  I had remembered that some yard dogs' food is only thrown on the ground where they have to eat it - both the miserable dogs and the muddy food, soaking wet.

 

In a few days I put his food  in a bowl but he wouldn't eat more than a little of that either. (The food in these photos is boiled turkey breast and low-protein kibble.) So I put his food on a flat plate and he gobbled that up.

 

Next, I moved the plate into the house.  We're getting there.  Soon I expect he will eat his food out of a bowl just like a dog who's always been a house-dog!

 

We were told that Chance is not good with cats, which would not surprising in a dog whose life has been on a chain watching cats stroll by, thumbing their noses....

But here he is, at our vet.  You decide if he's all that interested in cats...

"I'd rather look at a parking lot than at some hissy kittens..."

Chance at Harbourview Park with AAS volunteer, Yeongja, learning the joys of water-play and meeting new friends.
Chance loves playing and knows how to nicely, doing the play invitation "bow", and being very tolerant of leaping little dogs nipping at his face like fleas!  The predominant feature of Chance's personality is cheerfulness.
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 and advocacy. 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 expensive 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. 

Judy Stone

Please donate if you want to help us help more needy animals. 

One of the most powerful things you can do is to spread our web of compassion for animals. Send the AAS Website to everyone you know who hates cruelty to animals. The power of
animal-lovers joined together by the internet is changing animal protection and welfare in this province.

Use your power for the animals!


[ back to top ]