Maize - ADOPTED 08.28.10

Maize was another old dog turned into a mid-Michigan shelter and waiting on ‘death row’ to die by gassing. A kind person offered to sponsor some of his vetting, and even though we had no available foster home, the folks at LDDR couldn’t leave him there to die that way. When Maize came into care he needed a lot of medical attention. He had a horrible ear infection, arthritis, and his body covered in tumors. The vet ran many tests, did an ear flush, removed all the tumors, and started Maize on a medication regimen for the arthritis and ear infection. Maize was feeling so much better. Not having an available foster home, Maize spent his days residing at Happy Hounds Dog Day Care in Plymouth [www.happyhoundsdaycare.com]. While staying at Happy Hounds, Maize caught the eye of one of the dedicated staff persons who saw beyond his age and physical limitations, and adopted him. Maize would be another statistic had it not been for the kind person who wanted to do something to help an old dog. We only wish they could all be Happy Tails.

Tucker ~ Hospice

A Happy Tails story supreme! Tucker’s story is one of the worst cases of neglect and abuse I've seen, says his foster mother. Tucker was picked up at a garage sale in the Akron, OH area by an older woman who overheard the owner talking about how he hated the dog and wanted to get rid of him. The woman asked for the dog and the owner gave Tucker to her. Unfortunately, the woman’s husband was not pleased she brought him home and poor Tucker was tethered in a horse stall. The woman posted an ad on Craig’s List, and good for Tucker, our volunteers often peruse Craig’s List and found the ad for Tucker. It took a little time for LDDR volunteers to locate an available foster home and coordinate transport of Tucker to Michigan. When Tucker finally came into LDDR’s care we were shocked at his condition. He was listless, non-responsive to touch, dehydrated, emaciated, had open sores and scabs on his body, his fur filthy and matted, nails overgrown, and he had a terrible smell about him. His condition so poor, we thought he would die. He was transported to an Ohio foster home, where he received immediate medical care and much needed TLC. Remarkably, Tucker slowly started to regain his strength and was soon wagging his stubby little tail for his foster mom. Once a complete medical evaluation was done we learned that Tucker is between 10 and 13 years old, is blind, hearing impaired, has roundworms, is heartworm positive, anemic, has kidney problems, and staph infection of the skin. Due to his fragile medical condition, Tucker could not have surgery or be treated aggressively for the heartworm. After a few weeks of medical care and rest, Tucker moved to a foster home in Michigan. His comeback from the brink of death seems miraculous. In his Michigan foster home, Tucker received ongoing medical care and more TLC. He spent his days just enjoying life; snoozing on a big, thick blanket, hanging out with the resident dogs, rolling around on the ground in all the interesting smells, and going for short walks. In late July 2010 a family came forward, moved by Tucker’s sad story and a desire to help, and made a commitment to provide him permanent care as a foster placement. They are also considering adopting him. The family recently lost their cocker spaniel at the age of 15 years. They were struck by the similarity in looks of their cocker spaniel and Tucker. Today, Tucker is enjoying his golden years in a loving, caring, committed family. His mom tells us that he is doing great, so well in fact that she sometimes forgets he is blind. Tucker's mom states she truly knows she made the right decision to foster him. In the words of Ty Pennington, "I guess there's just one thing left to say;" "Welcome home, Tucker, welcome home."

Rita-ADOPTED

Rita is a gorgeous cattle dog that ended up in a local high-kill shelter along with her puppies. We do not know if Rita was an owner surrender or picked up as a stray, but we are glad we got her out of that shelter. All of Rita’s puppies were adopted while Rita herself, waited for her special family to come along. During that time, Rita’s foster family learned many things about her and shared that information on Rita’s bio page on LDDR’s website. That information was instrumental in matching Rita to her new family. Her adoptive mom tells us, “You know, without the bio on her web page, I probably would not have zeroed in on her. That information about her made all the difference in the world. She is really the right dog for our family.” Being a cattle dog, Rita needs a job to do. In her adoptive family, Rita has the wonderful task of keeping a watchful eye over two active youngsters. She enjoys swimming, playing at the dog park, and as her adoptive mom says, “she goes absolutely ape on this tire swing that we have outside.” Coming very close to being another statistic, Rita’s is truly another Happy Tails story.

Sam-ADOPTED 07.14.10

Sam is the eptiome of all that we do and the reason we call ourselves Last Day Dog Rescue. Sam was already sedated in his kennel waiting for the final injection to end his life. It almost seems like a miracle that he was rescued. We don't know why Sam ended up in a shelter. Perhaps he ran away from home, or perhaps his former owner fell victim to the economic crisis many face. For Sam, it's a second chance at life. He is now learning all about his new family which includes a canine buddy and feline friend, and the promise of being spoiled. Does it get any better than this!

Miss Ginger-Adopted

Little Miss Ginger was picked up as a stray in Osceloa County, MI in May 2010. Hard to believe no one came looking for this little girl. Although an extremely timid dog, Miss Ginger’s foster mom said she was sweeter than sugar. Miss Ginger was only in LDDR’s care for about two weeks before a family saw her on the website and fell in love with her. The family’s former pet died several months ago and the family has been searching for another little beagle girl to fill the emptiness in their hearts and home. Miss Ginger filled that spot and then some. The family changed Miss Ginger’s name to Reesie and added the nickname Ginger-Reesie. Today, Miss Ginger is making many new friends, both human and canine, in her new neighborhood.