Dog Town Canine Rescue
Gone, but never forgotten
In Loving Memory
While we try very hard to save the lives of as many dogs as possible, we sometimes find ourselves in the position of serving as sort of a doggie-hospice. We take in the elderly, sick, and other dogs that would face certain death in public shelters, and give them love and a dignified way to leave this world.
It is heartbreaking at times, but we have to look beyond our own fragile emotions, and see things from the dogs' perspective. They live each day without worrying about what tomorrow will bring. They are happy and content to have love and attention for as long as they are here, and we have to respect that.
Here are some of our beloved friends with whom we had the honor of sharing our lives:
Duncan was a thirteen year old German Shepherd who came to Dog Town when his military family was sent to Italy. He was already starting to show symptoms of degenerative myleopathy, a condition where the spinal nerves start to break down and the dog is eventually left immobile.
Duncan was a joy to have in our home; he got along with all of the other dogs, and one of his favorite activities was to accompany us when feeding the horses. He also loved to play ball, and when he became unable to run after balls, we would roll them to him on his bed. Duncan was a true gentleman and we know that he is once again playing ball and enjoying life in heaven.
Rex was another old timer who came to live at Dog Town when his owner passed away, and the wife had to enter a nursing home. Rex was a happy boy, who loved to hunt for squirrels in the wood pile outside our barn in Elko. He made the move with us to Carson City and then Lyon County. He had a way of coming up behind you and sticking his head between your legs when he wanted some extra attention.
Paloma was a very special puppy. She came from a terrible home where there were many inbred dogs. She was very tiny compared to her litter-mates, but she was very brave and never let her small size slow her down. We learned from the vet that she was born with heart problems and were advised to euthanize her. We decided to let her live her life for as long as she was comfortable and happy, and when the time came to let her go, we would. She loved going everywhere with us, she even flew on an airplane from Elko to Reno, and got us kicked out of the Big Lots store in Sparks.
Sheba came from the Nevada Humane Society, where she had been waiting for a very long time to find a home. We were so happy to be able to bring her into our home, where she was always a joy to be around. She was a very smart old girl, who never had a problem teaching the younger dogs about respecting their elders. She was very sweet and affectionate, and like Rex, had a cute way of coming up behind you and walking between your legs to get some attention. Sheba was very much the queen of our home, and like the others, is very much missed.
Handsome Jake was a stray picked up by Carson City Animal Services. He was terribly thin and so weak he could barely walk. His dog license was from Mono County, CA, and when we called to check, we were told that his owner had passed away. Nobody knew how Jake had made it all the way to Carson City.
Jake went into a foster home, where he soon became a member of the family. He loved going for walks in the woods near his home, and was always happy to play with the grandkids! He was the apple of his new mom's eye, and he probably lived better those few short months with her than he had his entire life.
Jake was very special and we will always have a place in our hearts for him.
Chica was already labeled "geriatric" when we rescued her from Washoe Animal Services back in May 2006. She never left Dog Town, but she had a home with us for the final two years of her life.
She was a very sweet and comical little dog, always doing something crazy like amazing us with how high she could jump (up onto the GOOD couch) or zooming through the house with a stolen tortilla in her mouth.
Chica eventually came down with Canine Cognitive Disorder, which is sort of the doggie equivalent of Alzheimer's Disease. She began to get very forgetful and we would often find her standing in the middle of a room, staring at the floor. But she was still not in any discomfort, so we tried medication (anypril) to see if it would help.
Finally old age caught up with our girl, so we had to say "so long" to her on April 9, 2008. We know that she's now young and frisky again, and will be waiting for us at the bridge. We miss you, Chica.
Kisses came to Dog Town in December 2008, he was left behind at Washoe Animal Services when his elderly human was hospitalized with very little chance of ever making it home. He was 15 years old, and had a bad back leg, but he seemed to get around just fine, and had a lot of fun interacting with the other dogs at Dog Town.
Kisses started having seizures about the third night we had him, which grew increasingly worse over time.
Around the middle of January 2009,
his seizures became so severe and
frequent, we took him to the vet to see if
he would benefit from medication.
The vet found cancer and very low blood
pressure. So we took him home and
decided to monitor his seizures.
The next morning we found Kisses on
the kitchen floor, soaked in blood. He had
bitten through his tongue during his
last seizure and was no longer
aware of his surroundings. We made the
decision to free him from his earthly
pains, and he is now on the other side of the rainbow, doing his favorite trick - sneaking dog treats from the jar.
We found Spirit at the Carson City Shelter, she was skinny and dirty, and her toenails were so long she could barely walk. But there was something so beautiful about her, she had such a beautiful spirit. We took her home and she lived with us for a little over one year, before her health started failing and it was time to let her go.
Again, we held her in our arms when we said good-bye at the vet's office and our girl passed on into the next world, where she was once again young, sleek and beautiful. We miss you baby girl.
Bernie was one of the "original" Dog Town dogs, and had become known as the Mayor of Dog Town. We got Bernie back in 2003 after his owner died and all of the relatives who promised to take care of him, changed their minds. Bernie was left to fend for himself on the streets of the Elko Indian Colony, fighting for food, and surviving the sub-zero temperatures in the winter.
Bernie came to Dog Town via the Elko Animal Shelter, where an employee who lived on the Colony took him for safety. He was a happy dog who took the position as "alpha" at Dog Town, always there to greet newcomers, and to explain the rules to any young, rowdy dogs. He never hurt another dog, but was our "enforcer".
Because Bernie had been run over by his owner, he had some nerve damage to his hind end, and as a result was mildly incontinent.
We suppose this was why he never got adopted, but after his first year in the kennels, we decided to integrate him into our own pack. Bernie fit right in and was always there to greet us with a wagging tail.
In his old age, he began to slow down, and on November 29th, 2008, we were faced with that decision we all dread. Bernie had lost control of his bodily functions, and was unable to walk. He went peacefully at the vet's office, with us right there. For a dog who had such a rough start in life, he had made the transition to "family dog with ease. Rest in peace, old friend.
