U-Turn
I adopted U-Turn from Xenia, OH in July 2005. He is a 12
or 13-year-old long-haired black and tan doxie who has brought
an amazing amount of love into my life! Uey is the sweetest,
most loving dog I've ever met. He had separation anxiety when
I first adopted him, but he is on medication and I often find
him sleeping happily under a chair or on the couch when I
get home from the hospital... He adores our 11-year-old basset
hound Lilly, and LOVES walks with the family! Uey just looks
at me with those huge brown eyes, and I hug him tight and
get kisses from him! U-turn has been the best thing to happen
to me, and reminds me to slow down and enjoy the fun and love
that he shows me daily. His tail is constantly wagging, and
he gallops so fast when it's time to go inside for dinner!
He makes me burst out laughing often just by being his old
senior self. Uey is so good for his baths, and loves to be
dried with my hairdryer when we're finished! I am a vet student,
and plan on continuing to adopt senior doxies for the rest
of my life!
Next time I'll get two... They are truly the BEST :)
Lindsay Marie Avila
Montie, Wendy and Woodie
Meet the Triplets: Montie, Wendy and Woodie 12 year old litter
mates.
Montie, Wendy and Woodie, lost there home after both their
Mommy and Daddy passed away this year. Very well manned and
fully vetted these adorable furkids are as sweet as they can
be. Even thought they can be separated Woodie really needs
to be with another dog. Woodie has a bad eye and can barely
see and depends on another dog to help him learn new ways
to get around. The furkids are use to a deck with a doggy
door and do pretty good with potty skills, but they are Seniors.
Montie #3927 is the darker red running across the yard.
Wendy #3926, is the B/T running across the yard
Woodie# 3925 is the pale red standing with his lead.
Leah, Sadie and Abbey
I adopted Leah 3 years ago and unfortunately I only had her
for 2 of the most wonderful years. I adopted her from Libbey
in NC. Leah was blind but the most lovable girl, she was my
first rescue. What a great experience. I then adopted Sadie
from Joyce in SC and she and Leah were great together. Leah
was and older girl we were unsure of her age, Sadie is 11
yrs young and just went through back surgery and is doing
great. One year ago I adopted a buddy for Sadie and myself,
named Abbey. She is 9 yrs young, diabetic and can't see very
well due to her diabeties. She is so loving and didn't come
from a good situation. It is a wonder to me that some of these
rescues just seem to forgive humans for the unforunate lives
they have lived before coming to DRNA and the fosters who
work with them to make them trusting pups once again. I have
been a lucky lady to have had 3 wonderful rescues and the
fosters that have either transported them or fostered them
are just a wonderful dedicated group of folks that just love
what they do.
Ed Gurka has been great, helping a lady who had to find
a home for her girl after she had to give up her home and
couldn't take her with her. He has brought me all 3 of my
girls to their forever home and for that I am grateful.
Thank you for your caring work for these Doxies.
Elaine Rhen
Landisville, Pa
Daschal
Last year I adopted an 11 year old Senior Dachsie. I had
2 six year old dogs and a 5 year old cat and a senior seemed
to be the perfect fit. It was the best decision I could have
made. Daschal has brought so much joy into our family. The
other animals immediately respected him, it was like they
could sense that he was elderly and they needed to be gentle
with him. A senior is so calm and just wants to be loved.
He has made us all slow down and appreciate the little things
in life, he stops to smell the flowers when we go for walks
and the other dogs have to stop also. We are constantly amazed
at how cute and funny he is. The only thing cuter than a puppy
is a senior. I will always have a senior dog in my home. Everyone
should have one!
You can't be afraid to adopt an older dog because you might
think that you will get attached and then they will pass away.
But wouldn't you rather have a year of such great love then
deprive yourself of it? It's quite possible that your senior
dog might live for many more years. But that does not matter
since you are giving these dogs a wonderful life in their
final years. Get yourself a senior and you will know what
I mean.
Thanks,
Janice K.
Lionel and Daisy
When I started looking to adopt a daschie, I was looking
for one, about eight years old, located here in the Northeast.
Then I saw the picture of Lionel and Daisy. While all the
dogs had been adorable, these two were mine. I knew it. Never
mind that there were two of them, they were 13 and 12 respectively
and down South. They needed me.
Now, we are a family. Since I live in the city and work from
home, we don't get tons of outdoor time but that's fine with
them. They are always ready for a car ride or are perfectly
happy to nap on the loveseat in my office while I work. They
adjusted to being nightowls with me and keep me company long
after "normal" people with "normal" jobs
are asleep. And you would never guess they are seniors. Their
energy is unbridled ~ between naps, of course.
We may not have the next ten years together but the joy they
bring me is worth whatever we may face in the future. I knew
they needed me. I just didn't know how much I needed them.
~ Meredith
Miss Milo
Last fall I decided to adopt a rescue dachshund as a companion
for me and my 12 year old basset mix, Wiener. A fat little
13 year old black and tan girl named Miss Milo caught my eye
and when I read her description and corresponded with her
foster Mom I knew she was the dog for us. She has a heart
condition that requires 3 different medications and has to
eat a non-allergenic diet, but that doesn’t slow her down.
Milo is content to lay in her bed while I’m at work and is
ready for dinner, a walk, and snuggles when I get home. She
is looking good and has a happy wagging tail. Milo may not
be around for the next 20 years, but all the years she has
left will be happy for us both. I would highly recommend a
senior dachshund to anyone who is looking for a sweet and
loving friend.
Kathleen Sioui
Forrest
Forrest (he was then called Poppy) was living in foster care
in Kentucky and as luck would have it, it was love at first
sight when I saw his picture on the DRNA website. I contacted
his foster mom in Kentucky and began the process to adopt
him, which was no easy thing since I lived in New Jersey with
my husband and our 13 year old Jack Russell Terrier. We managed
to figure out a way to pick him up in Ohio while on our way
to Michigan for Christmas (04). We hit a blizzard while in
route and had to stay over in West Virginia. The weather was
still horrendous when we finally picked him up the next day
from the lady who originally rescued him and nursed him back
to health.
So Forrest spent his first Christmas with us in Michigan at
the age of 13! That's where we decided on the name: Forrest.
Watching him run through the snow, my husband said: "Run
Forrest, run," and it stuck. It didn't take Poppy very
long to figure that out.
I wanted a senior for two reasons: One, to keep our other
senior dog Mike company, and two because we wanted to do some
good. My heart just breaks for all the dogs in rescue or worse
and adopting senior only from now on is the least I can do!
Anyway, about Forrest:
Forrest is now 14 and has been with us 17 months. Of course,
when you look at him, he certainly looks like a little old
man with his white face and legs and his snaggle tooth (from
previous tooth extractions). However, we are finding more
and more that Forrest is becoming a new dog. Its like he's
getting younger rather than older! His coat is shiny and sleek
and he's getting muscular looking from more exercise. The
other day we took him to the dog beach at the Manasquan Inlet
(in New Jersey). Its a very protected area with the inlet
on one side and a huge sand dune on the other. Well, Forrest
just came alive there! We let him off the leash and he ran
and ran - tail up in the air, but never got very far away.
Each time he was about 20 feet ahead of us, he would stop
and look over his shoulder to make sure we were still coming
(he definitely doesn't want to lose us!). I had some treats
with me and I told my husband that we should work on the "come"
command. So I gave my husband the treats (because, Forrest
is madly in love with my husband - unlike many doxies that
seem to prefer women, Forrest prefers men!). Anyway, the first
"come" command went fairly well but once the treat
was introduced all the ones that followed were simply spectacular.
Forrest likes to turn in early (after a hard days work at
Doggy Daycare where he spends his day while I'm at work).....I
shouild really say that my husband likes to turn in early
and wherever he goes, Forrest isn't too far behind. When I
get ready for bed myself I see my husband all the way over
on his side of our kingsize bed and all 12 pounds of Forrest
smack dab in the middle, on his back with his front paws in
the air. He usually manages to get his head on the pillow
and pull the covers over himself so that they fall across
his chest. If I didn't know he was a dog, I'd think perhaps
someone cast a spell on a human forcing him to live in a dogs
body.
Looking at our 14 year old "senior" dog, I think
to myself, surely he's going to live another five years or
more even! After all....he's found Nirvana!
Sincerely,
Ellen Orrego
