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Bringing senior dogs and people together.
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Our Stories:
Three Yorkies living in a car
  
In rescue work, you think that you have heard it all at some point, but you haven't. Amanda, our Intake Coordinator, got a call from a lady saying that their house burned down and she was living in her car with her three yorkipoo dogs in a cardboard box. She wondered if we could take the dogs into our rescue. Of course, Amanda agreed to take them and she brought them to Amanda's house.
All three dogs had severe flea infestation and their hair coats were thin and poor. That was the first thing Amanda took care of. After a couple of days she took all three of them to our vet where Kissy and Victoria were found to have Grade IV heart murmurs and the vet wondered if she should put them down. We said we wanted to do everything that we can for them so they all were spayed and received their vaccinations. It was also necessary to remove one of Kissy's eyes due to glaucoma. Kissy and Victoria are considered Special Needs dogs (no adoption donation needed). Hopefully, we can find great forever homes for all three of the girls!
Roxy is an eight year old Yorkie mix that weighs about 11 pounds. We cannot say enough wonderful things about this precious dog. She is housebroken and walks on a leash to potty too. All other pets are fine with her and she loves to curl up in a dog bed with any cat or dog. Roxy is quiet and loving. She is a very easy dog to have and would be great even for a first time dog owner. Roxy is very healthy and will have a beautiful coat in a few months.
Kissy is an eight year old Shih Tzu/Yorkie mix. It was necessary to remove Kissy's eye due to Glaucoma. She has adjusted great and has never changed her sweet funloving personality. She is totally housebroken and is perfect in the house. She loves her people and other dogs. Kissy will make a great pet for anyone of any age. She does have a heart murmur so we will not be asking an adoption fee for her. We are just looking for someone to love her as she is.
Emilee
 
Sometimes we take in younger dogs. We took in Emilee who was a 6 month old puppy from a shelter so that she would not be put down. When Emilee first came into our rescue she didn't act like a puppy and looked very sick. We soon found out that Emilee had parvo! We put her in the hospital at VSS (Veterinary Specialty Services) hoping that she could come home in several days of their excellent care. She did not make progress and continued to be very sick. Our bill was getting very large and was approaching $2,000 and on the 10th day I called VSS and said that we probably need to let her go. Her vet, Dr Karagiannis, called me back to say that he wanted to give her two more days to see if she could turn it around. He said that they would freeze our bill at $2,000 and not charge us for the extra time. Of course, I agreed, and two days later Emilee came home to my foster home.
She was weak and needed to rest and ate a little rice and chicken for several days before gradually adding some special dog food that is easy to digest. All of her bones stuck out including every rib, and her hip bones. Slowly she started eating a little more each morning and evening. I would have to sit on the floor next to her or she wouldn't eat. Then she would eat a few bites and then come over to kiss me and then go back for a few more bites. Because she had spent 12 days in a cage at the hospital, she now slept with me and snuggled all night.
Very slowly her energy came back and she started gaining some weight. Three weeks after getting out of the hospital Emilee was adopted by a wonderful woman with another lab sister for her and a huge fenced backyard. She is a beautiful dog with a beautiful heart and I am so glad that Emilee was able to avoid death from being put down in the shelter and making it through parvo. This was only possible because of the grant money that our rescue receives so that we can once in a while spend extra money on a sick dog.
 
Hope's life started in a Missouri breeding facility. When she was 8 years old she was moved to the Humane Society where she was found to have really bad teeth and two luxating patellas. All of her teeth were pulled which had to make her feel better but it was thought that she may not be adoptable with the bad knees. She was moved to Senior Dogs 4 Seniors rescue in December, 2011. Hope responded well to her foster parent's TLC and made great progress in learning how to be a happy pet.
Unfortunately, one of her back knees slipped out of the socket and she started holding her leg up. The cost of surgery to fix this was very expensive, even for "rescue rates," but one of our vets, Dr Furlong, agreed to do it for $600 and we agreed to move ahead. After her surgery had healed Hope continued to hold her leg up so we took her to Healing Paws Rehab for aquatherapy to teach her that she can now use that leg. Here is a video of her working out: http://youtu.be/qoTeOFsKTn8
It didn't take long for this smart little girl to catch on and she soon started using her leg and was ready for adoption. Joanna Werner saw Hope at an adoption event and immediately feel in love with her. Here is note from Joanna:
Because Senior Dogs for Seniors intrigued me,I was drawn to look at their dogs they had for adoption at a recent Petapalooza sponsored by Ralston Purina. I wasn't so sure I was ready for a dog but when I saw a beautiful red Pomerainian I was smitten. Hope was delivered to me he next day by this wonderful couple who take in older dogs for future adoptions. Hope has been the perfect lady, loving the attention from my grown children and my friends, she even tolerates my 3 year old grandson's quizzical stare at her tongue slipping out the side of her toothless mouth. Hope and I walk a lot these days, much more than what I'm used to but so good for me. Her enthusiasm when I come home is heart warming. When she isn't sleeping she is not so patiently waiting beside the garage door in anticipation of a ride. Does she love the car or the delicious smells she finds when we get to our destination, I don't know but she is wonderful company for me. I still shake my head in wonder that this beautiful animal was available. Hooray, she's my best companion, I love her.
UPDATE: In January, 2013, Hope flew with Joanna to Hawaii for a vacation in the sun. When we told Dr Furlong, he said it right, "The slipper fit!"
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Prince
 
In September, 2012, someone brought a dog into the St Louis County Animal Control and surrendered a 12 year old dog that they said was called Princess, a female. The dog was so matted that it could not open one eye and the ears were matted to the head. It was necessary to shave the dog and it was then discovered that it was not a female but a male, therefore, the name was changed to Prince. He was thought to be unadoptable and was moved to Senior Dogs 4 Seniors.
We provided the vet care that was needed which included a dental for severe dental tardar with extractions, the removal of a mass from his throat and treated his skin condition.
Prince is still in our care and is a wonderful dog. He has is calm and content and happy in his foster home. His hair has come back in but he still likes to wear his sweater. He has a gentle soul and enjoys taking naps snuggled up in a comfy dog bed.
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Reagle
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Some our volunteers were at the St Louis County Animal Control and they asked us if we wanted to see a very pathetic case that had come in the night before. We found an emaciated dog that was a walking skeleton. Her age was estimaed at 2 years old. She had so many fleas covering her body that her ear canels were packed with thousands of fleas. Although Reagle was so weak with starvation her tail never stopped wagging and we knew we had to take her and try to save her. In less than 2 weeks she gained six pounds! All she needed was food, that's all! It is amazing that a dog could have gone through so much and still love all peole.
Reagle was quickly adopted and started her new life as a healthy and happy pet.
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Oliver's New Home
On May 27, 2012, my husband and I became the "parents" of a wonderful
dog from the rescue group called "Senior Dogs 4 Seniors."
Everyone that I had contact with at the organization was very
professional, warm, and caring. After viewing the available dogs for
adoption on their website, I was interested in meeting "Oliver," a 7
year-old Long-Haired Chihuahua. His Foster Mom brought "Oliver" over to
our house for a "Meet and Greet" (which I call "Whiff and Sniff") to see
how we got along together, and also so the Foster Mom could check out
our house and yard - and I suppose check me out, too.
After just 30 minutes, I just knew Oliver was The One. The Foster Mom
approved us wholeheartedly, took Oliver back to her house in Florissant,
and returned the following day with Oliver and all of his toys, treats,
and food. Our house was bustling with excitement as we had been dogless
for 3 years since our dear Cocker "Bingo" had passed suddenly from
cancer three years ago.
The change in my mood has been remarkable! Disabled with MS, my world
has been getting smaller and smaller. Now with this darling and funny
and well-mannered furry addition to our family, I'm waaay less
depressed, my blood pressure has gone down, and I'm out and about in my
electric scooter taking Oliver around our neighborhood. And get a load
of this: my husband, who swears he is *not* a dog person, even lets
Oliver sleep on our bed with us!
Oliver is the best thing that's ever happened to us.
Dora, Diva and Marilyn's life together
 
Marilyn
Johnson uses our Complete Care package. She wanted a companion dog and Dora, who was 12 years old, loved living in her home. They were together for Dora's last two years and it was a blessing for both of them.
Marilyn recently took in Diva, a cocker spaniel, to be her companion and they are doing great together.
David comes to her house once a month. He delivers any needed dog food, dog treats or medication. He gives the dog their monthly Heartguard and Frontline. He cuts their nails and brushes them and cleans up the yard. He also takes the dog to the vet and groomer when needed.
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A second chance for Chance
Gizmo, a 4 year old Shih Tzu came to us from a rescue shelter in central Missouri. Gizmo isn’t a small Shih Tzu, he is one big boy weighing in at 18-20 lbs., but he sure is cute!
His original story is that he came from some folks who only had him a month or two. They turned him in because Gizmo didn’t do well with their 3 small children. He had been living outside because they were obviously misinformed and thought Shih Tzu’s were suppose to be rugged and outdoorsy. (Anyone, who knows anything about Shih Tzu’s, knows Shih Tzu’s are indoor dogs and they need attention and love.) Before that he belonged to another woman who had rescued him a couple of years before. The story she told is Gizmo was a stray that ended up in a vet’s office after someone tried to set him on fire. We can’t confirm this, but he does have a full coat and doesn’t have any obvious scarring that we can see.) What had happened was her mother moved in with her and didn’t like Gizmo, so one day while the daughter as at work the mother arranged to give Gizmo away, (apparently not caring what type of home he went to). The daughter said she wouldn’t’ have given Gizmo up and certainly wouldn’t have given him up to a family with small children, but she couldn’t take Gizmo back because her mother wouldn’t allow it. However, she did confirm that Gizmo didn’t like rough-housing and didn’t like a lot of physicality.
Anyway, we were contacted by the shelter, where Gizmo ended up, and asked if we would want him. They said they couldn’t put him up for adoption because he was dicey with kids and really needed some help to get over his trust issues. We decided he needed a chance, so we took him in and hence the new name - Chance! After a few days his foster mom reported that he was a fantastic and very cool dog. She felt like he must have been misunderstood. Chance didn’t have one accident in her house, so it was apparent that he was potty-trained. Also, very smart because he was easily taught to sit-up, shake hands and to speak when he wanted to go outside. He also got along great with her four other Shih Tzu’s. She discovered he had a fantastic and very cute personality. He loved chasing his light-up football in the yard and playing chase with it. He was really just a big teddy bear! He loved it when his foster mom would rub his belly and hug on him! She fell in love with Chance and decided she would make it her mission to make sure that his next home would be his loving forever home.
We would like to report that Chance was adopted by a wonderful family who has 2 other Shih Tzu’s and they all love him very much. He has his own bed (indoors), and they give him all the patience and understanding he needs, as well as treats and lots of toys. He gets daily walks in the country and gets to visit the local dog park where he has lots of fun with the other dogs! They have also reported he is definitely full of personality and gets along great with everyone in the household. Chance is finally home!
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Robbie's New Life after Purina
 
Dear Friends and Family,
I am very sad to share this news with you. Yesterday, my little dog Robbie passed away. Today the house seems so quiet and empty without his presence.
As most of you know, my little man was a working boy who spent his first 12 years as a food taster for Purina. If you ever got between Robbie and his dinner bowl, you know he was very good at his job! Through serendipity, I met Robbie at a pet adoption day and one month later he moved in, June 22, 2008.
Robbie always made me smile . . . whether watching his ears flap up and down when he pranced up the driveway, seeing his goofy off-balance attempts to navigate the curbside, hearing him bark the very first time, bumping my leg with his nose when I wasn't getting the food dished up fast enough, licking my hand to wake me in the morning, nosing between my legs to stand there and lean against me, putting my hand on his side while he slept, listening to him breathe and dream . . . there are so many wonderful memories. He was a sweet little soul who taught me much about the meaning of love.
He was an old guy and had his share of serious health issues, but we managed to celebrate birthdays 13, 14 and 15 together. Yesterday the little guy just had too many things working against him, so I decided it was best to let him go.
Thanks to each of you for being a part of my little man's life. It's time for me to start a new chapter now.
Be well. Be happy.
Connie
p.s. Attached is our first and last pictures together . . . 6/22/2008 and 7/18/2010, Robbie's birthday.
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Holly Has a New Forever Home
Diane,
It has been so long since we last spoke and I have wanted so many times to contact you about our Holly. Dennis and I have been so blessed by having Holly in our lives. She is our constant companion, absolutely spoiled rotten and we don't know how we ever got along without her.
You may remember Holly had bladder stones when she came to you and just had surgery when she came to us. Holly has been stone free ever since and still sees Dr. Sanford at Heritage on a routine basis for her care. The special diet dog food prescribed by Dr. Sanford keeps those bladder stones away. She is also only allowed plain Cheerios as a treat but she thinks these are the best dog treat in the world.
Shortly after coming to live with us Holly discovered a plant in the back yard she just had to taste. A few hours later we found ourselves in the emergency vet hospital in West County with a very sick Holly. After blood work and tummy x-rays she received medication, iv therapy to prevent dehydration and an overnight stay at the hospital. Dennis removed the offending plant/bush as soon as we came home. The next day I insisted that she come home, they said she wouldn't eat and needed to stay. I said I wouldn't eat either if I were in this noisy place. Holly and I came home to Dennis preparing boiled chicken and rice and voila instant appetite. Holly has been well ever since.
This year when we took Holly for her annual checkup she had a stage 3 gum disease that required surgery and unfortunately the loss of 5 teeth. Dr. Sanford assured me 5 teeth are nothing to a dog and it would not affect her ability to eat. She was right of course and Holly doesn't seem to miss those teeth at all. We are now doing Oravet plaque prevention treatments every two weeks. This is a lifetime commitment but it really seems to be working and Holly is very tolerant of her treatments and even seems to like it.
Recently Holly was having sneezing and coughing so off to Dr. Sanford we went. I am now the owner of a dog who has allergies, which is rather ironic since she, the Bichon, is the perfect dog for people with allergies. She was given an allergy shot and will get boosters as needed. Holly stopped sneezing and coughing almost as soon as she received the shot.
Since Dennis has his office in our home she has a bed in his office where she spends most of the day. She also has a bed in my craft room, and has claimed the most regal chair in the living room as her own and of course we don't stop her.
Each morning she barks at me at 6:00 to remind me it's time for her breakfast, in case I forgot. She does what we call 'The Doggy Dance" down the hall until we get to that magical place where Holly food is kept. If I am the least little bit late coming home from work she will not stop barking at me as if she is saying it's dinner time did you forget. Who ever gets home first feeds Holly but when the other one comes home she tries to trick you into believing she has not been fed. We have the same routine each night, we go to the kitchen where we each have a snack, she follows me to the bathroom, sits and waits while I get ready for bed then hops on the bed as soon as I'm finished. When either Dennis or I are out of town she is not completely settled it's as if she is thinking someone in the pack is missing I must be on guard until they return.
You may also remember the blue blanket/rug she came to you with. She still has her blankie and we have discovered it is when she is very playful and very relaxed that the blankie becomes her companion. If she is on guard the blankie is left behind but when we are all together, reading and relaxing she will go get her blanket and sit with us, relaxed.
Diane as you can tell she is our best friend and we hope we are hers. You truly blessed us by bringing this little girl to us and there is nothing we would change about Holly. We will take her with gum disease, special diet, allergies and anything else that comes along. As I said we don't know what life was like before Holly and know that she is a joy to have around and the perfect companion, always by my side.
Attached are photo's of Holly so you can see how good your Holly looks.
Sincerely,
Denise and Dennis Sahrmann
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Bernice the thin Bernese
by Diane Pierce
 
Amanda called me and asked if we would be interested in taking a Bernese Mountain Dog from a breeding facility. I have never been around a Bernese and thought that it would be fun to see what they are like so I agreed to take her.
When trying to come up with a name for a Bernese, I instantly thought about the name Bernice, which was the name of my mother. When Bernice arrived she was strikingly beautiful with her tri-colors. She wasn’t feeling well and would quietly lie in the kitchen all the time in the same place by the stove. She would be affectionate if you approached her but otherwise just laid there looking sad. We put a real nice throw rug where she liked to lay so she would be a little more comfortable. She was very thin and we learned why. She would immediately vomit after eating each time.
Debbie and Denis Phillips had applied to adopt Bernice. We told them about her problems and they were still interested in adopting her. We brought Bernice to meet them and they both thought she was wonderful and they were okay waiting for her to get better. Debbie is a nurse and was ready to take on the job helping this girl.
We took her to see Dr. Kim Sanford at Heritage Veterinary Service in Creve Coeur. We tried different medications and special dog food and we would hold our breath and cross our fingers that she could keep something down, but the vomiting continued. Finally Dr Sanford opened her up and found that her common bile duct was blocked. Dr Sanford called me and said that she was not certified to do that type of repair surgery and she could close her up and we could have a specialist do it or she could continue and do her best but we needed to know that we could lose her. Of course, we told her to continue. We had already spent so much money on this girl we didn’t know how much further we could go. Well, she came home after the surgery and there was no more vomiting! It was wonderful to see her slowly gaining weight and moving around more.
Debbie and Denis came to Petco on January 30th to get her so that they could spend the whole weekend with her. David and I went out to their home in Union, MO on Sunday. Bernice seemed pretty happy and settled in already. She now has a brother, Gus, who is a german shepherd.
Here is a note from Denis, Debbie, and Gus Phillips:
Where do I begin about Bernice? She has captured our hearts. She has joined our family and has become the "missing piece" that we were looking for. She is so affectionate and loving and to think about everything that this sweet sweet girl has been through in her short life. If only people could learn from dogs. Bernice and her "brother" Gus love to go outside and explore the backyard. She rolls in the grass and is playful now that she is healthy. She weighs 85 lbs and loves!! to eat. She especially enjoys evening snacktime. Denis and I cannot thank Diane, Dave and the rescue group enough for the fantastic work that they do!!.
Sincerely,
Denis, Debbie, Gus and Bernice Phillips
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