Most of our dogs come to us with their own sad tale, but every now and then one comes around that really sticks with us. Norman is one of those special ones. We first came across Norman over a month ago in the local pound we visit twice a week and were pretty sure he was dead in his cage. He was flat on his side and didn't respond until we went in and tapped him on the shoulder, and then he slowly and painfully stood up, waddled a few feet and laid back down. He clearly very elderly, overweight, and covered in crusted mats. He had come in as a "stray" but we assumed his owner must have dumped him since it didn't look like he could run away very far on his own. We put our rescue's name on his cage and committed to taking him after his stray hold was up to see what our vet could do to make him more comfortable and try to give him a nicer ending to his life, however long it may be. To our surprise, the next time we visited the pound he was gone and had been reclaimed by his owner. A week later, he was back again though, soaking wet from wandering around during a rainstorm. Again we had to check to make sure he was alive and he stood up creakily, walked a few steps, peed, drank, and then it was nap time again. Really, how could someone lose a dog this old and slow a second time?! We put our name on his cage again, and this time his owner left him sitting in the pound for several days, and then again was reclaimed.
A couple week later, he appeared in the pound again. This time the owner admitted that the grandmother in the home didn't want him there anymore because he was "old" and kept dumping him in the street, and they decided they didn't want him anymore either and left him in the pound for good. They claimed he was 21 years old?! likely an exaggeration but he definitely is at least 12-14, and they had him since he was a puppy. They couldn't even be bothered to come to the pound to sign over ownership of him, and so he had to wait in a concrete run for 10 long days before we finally were able to legally take custody of him today... He struggled to get his footing in the slippery hallway on his "freedom walk" out of the shelter but seemed to perk up walking outside and meeting another dog, and scarfed down some dog food and treats in the car. He was covered in thick crusted, moldy-smelling mats which weren't making it any easier for him to get around with his severe arthritis already. We were a bit fearful of what his bloodwork, x-rays, and vet exam might reveal, but determined to make the rest of his life as happy and comfortable as possible, whether it was a few hours, days, or months.
So for probably the first time in years, today Norman had a bath, grooming, and medical care and within a few hours of his rescue he looks and feels like a different dog already! Happily his bloodwork didn't reveal anything too serious, and he has a urinary tract infection which we are treating. He's starting on pain meds and joint supplements and already seemed to be getting around a little better just from being rid of the extra weight of all those mats. He was so relaxed while being shaved (not sedated!) that again we had to check and make sure he was alive...he was fine and just enjoying a nap during his "massage". He's been nothing and probably had more love and attention today than in the past decade, and we are hopeful he will have a lot of quality time left to make up for his past.
It's only because of our generous supporters like you that we are able to continue to help give so many seniors a second chance to enjoy the love and medical care at the end of their life that every dog deserves...please consider donating to sponsor Norman's care on our website www.secondchance.petfinder.com, and email njwoof@cs.com if you would like to adopt or foster this special old man. No matter how full we are, how high our veterinary bills are, or how many other seniors we have already this month (or week for that matter), when a special one like Norman crosses our path we can't turn away and we hope you can't either! Thank you and thank you for reading Norman's story...stay tuned for updates...
We do not have a shelter- all our pets are in foster homes and can be seen by appointment only during the week, or at our weekly pet adoptions every Sunday at the Animal Clinic of Morris Plains from 12:30 to 3PM at 3009 Route 10 East next to 5 Star Car Wash (formerly Boulder Car Wash) in Morris Plains (Denville on GPS). To help us better match a pet to your household, we request you fill out an application on our homepage www.secondchance.petfinder.com and copy and paste it into an email, or print it and bring it to our adoption day when you come. Local inquiries only please- we do not do long distance adoptions.
Can't adopt but still want to help this dog? Click on the "Sponsor Me" button at the top of this page to donate toward his/her care! All donations are tax-deductible and go directly toward the care of our rescue dogs. Thank you for your support!
