A while back I was speaking with Dogster member Ron about his pup Takoda, a special needs dog. I asked if he would like to do an article on what it’s like to adopt a  special needs or older dog. What you bring to their lives, and the unbelievable joy they bring to yours.

I recently received Ron’s response and it seems like the perfect post as American Humane’s Adopt-A-Dog Month comes to an end.

I guess you could say that research started when my wife and I adopted Takoda. Like Logan, he was a stud dog in a Puppy Mill, used and abused for the first three years of his life and then ready to be tossed away, along with four other Dobermans, when the people who owned the Mill decided they were no longer of use and were ready to toss them to a Kill Shelter. Thank God a Rescue Group heard about that and promptly rescued them all. If that hadn’t happened, we never would have known how much love a Rescued and Adopted dog, be it a Senior or Special Needs, has to give.

I wanted to really be able to tell you exactly what was needed to adopt that Special Needs, or Senior, dog so I joined several different groups to see what others had to say. I just wanted to read the posts and see what was being said from the heart, not from the mind. What I wanted was their feelings and comments that were spontaneous, not thought out. Those reasons and feelings that came from deep within.

I’ve been visiting, reading and taking notes for quite a while now and just knew a pattern would start forming rapidly. Well, after all this time that hasn’t happened. From what I read in all those posts, there really wasn’t anything specific about the people who adopted a Special Needs or Senior dog, they varied from young to old, from those with the ability to give the best of care to those who would have to scrounge a little to take care of their pet. There just didn’t seem to be anything specific that was needed.

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No it’s not a mistake. The name at the top of this post is correct. That’s right, this is Lisa, Horst’s wife. I figure since you hear from him everyday, and Bo occasionally, maybe it’s time to stick in a female perspective every so often.

I thought I would post some cute stuff, feature a Dogster dog of the week, and give you a behind the scenes look at life in the Hoefinger household where the pets outnumber humans 2 to 1.

So…last Thursday Horst took the dogs for a walk down to the nature trail in our neighborhood.  It’s a mile walk through the woods with a creek for the “kids” to play in. Not surprisingly it’s their favorite part of our subdivision. When the crew made it back home I noticed Logan, our beautiful rescue Berner, stinks.  I’m not talking about regular dog stink. No, I’m talking hold your breath or you’ll be sick stink.

I mention this issue to Horst who doesn’t notice anything is off. Of course, this is the guy who forgot to change the kitty litter for a week while I was away. After all these years, I guess my expectations are still too high. A couple hours go by and I tell Horst he’s got to take Logan outside to bathe him because I can’t take the wafts of odor coming my way anymore.

After much prodding, Logan finally got his much needed bath, but to my dismay he now reeks worse than before. Not only is the original odor coming from him, but now it’s infused with that wet dog smell. Not a good combo, especially for someone with a sensitive nose. I hoped that when Logan dried, the smell would go away. It didn’t.

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Today is National Dog Day, although at our house it feels like everyday is national dog day.  Unfortunately there are many homeless dogs that will never get to celebrate this day because they have no forever family. There’s a photography studio that wants to change this,  so they put together a fundraising calendar to help dogs in need.

Chicago-based Sutton Studios, led by world-renowned pet and family portrait photographer, David Sutton,  announced the donation of 10,000 Dog Day Calendars to animal welfare organizations, humane societies and animal shelters throughout Chicagoland and across the country. These organizations offer the calendar at a suggested donation of $10 each. They keep 100% of the proceeds.

“The funds generated from Dog Days Calendar sales are greatly needed to continue our mission in helping homeless animals in need and raising awareness of the animal overpopulation that leads to the tragic destruction of millions of dogs and cats every year in the U.S.,” says Sutton. “Animal welfare organizations are challenged to do more with fewer resources, so our hope is that this calendar provides them with funds they might not otherwise have had.”

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