Blu

Be sure to click on pictures to zoom in!

Carmel

CARMEL is just the SWEETEST, PRETTIEST, no more than 9-10 months old kitty that I rescued yesterday, barefoot and pregnant.  I can't tell you the relief I saw in her eyes this morning, her personality, compared to the condition she was in yesterday.  She looks SO different this morning. Very kitten like, and much smaller than I thought she was.  It seems she is forever grateful for me rescuing her, and allowing her to be a kitten again.  She didn't want to get off my lap!  Off she will go to Melissa for fostering until the right family finds her.  Thanks Melissa!
I am turning now to another critter - the dog.  I need a break from cats for a day.  😸

So I have a new partner in crime at work.  My old partner Joe - my work husband - retired on me.  Crystal was hired several months ago to take his place, and while I don't know her as well as I got to know Joe after working with him for over 11 years or so, I did get to know pretty quickly that she loves animals.  I then found out she was not only moving from another state, but wanted to buy a house here in Rochester and rescue a dog back in her old hometown that was severely neglected.

Crystal writes her own blog.  datesinthestates.com
She discovered my blog, and wanted to share her story.  Its a beautiful heartwarming story.  Here is what she has to share:

💓

datesinthestates.com is a couple’s blog about travel and dating in the United States. This blog has been an outlet of expression to share our experiences with the world while inspiring all of you to live life past the daily grind. Even though many of our posts are about our travels and dating life, this story in particular I thought was meant to be shared. We recently have welcomed a new addition to our family – Blu.

Blu is a rescued senior Coonhound mix who lived in a neglected home. He's been through a lot, but he has adjusted to us very quickly. His previous home consisted of living outdoors in a wooden dog house with holes in the floor boards and the roof, a 10 foot long chain wrapped around his neck so tight he had sores, and stagnant water. He lived outside through the winters and the storms with nothing to keep him warm other than that rickety old dog house. His owner was an elderly lady who just couldn't take care of him, so a month ago we approached her and pitched the idea of taking him. Happily she accepted.

He was located in Pennsylvania, so as soon as we closed on our new home in New York we drove down to pick him up. It was a struggle to get the tightly screwed chain off from around his neck, but as soon as we did – his expression changed. He was jumping for joy and when we said, “Let’s go home”, he happily obliged. 

Before making the four hour drive to our new home, we of course took him to the groomer! He was one smelly dog and as you can see from his photos - very overweight! The groomer did an amazing job and he did very well for his first time. He also did well in the car - no accidents! I don’t believe our other dog Nova was too impressed though to be getting an older brother.

When we arrived at our new house, he was so ecstatic. It was as if a new dog had already emerged. For people who don't believe dogs smile, he will change your mind! Seeing his face when he was tied to the chain and then looking at him now - it's incredible. He now has a fenced in yard to run around (chain free), a new doggie friend - Nova, a safe and clean dog house, and always clean water and fresh food.  He also has love, something he had never experienced before. We take him for daily walks and play with him. He is pretty clueless when we try to play, but he is catching on. He's learning a lot from Nova as well as words such as “sit” and “stay”.  Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks?! We've had him for about 4 weeks now and has been losing weight – finally getting down to a healthy size.

Recently, we took him for his first trip to the vet. The vet was very understanding and courteous. As we are unsure if he had ever been to a vet, she treated him as a puppy. He received his vaccines, a puppy health check, heart worm tests, and a few others I lost track of! He also had a cyst under his belly that we had to take a sample of to make sure it wasn't cancerous. Thankfully, it seems to be benign. He tested Lyme positive, had a few different kinds of worms such as whip worm, and his physical exam showed stiffness in his legs - which may be from the Lyme. He doesn't have a lot of strength in his legs either; both of which may be caused from being on a chain his whole life and not getting proper exercise. When he breathes he snorts, this may be caused by the chain being wrapped around his neck causing a collapsed trachea. His teeth showed that he may be younger than we think (10 years). Unable to determine what type of Coonhound he may be, she called him a mutant beagle (because he's 102 lbs!).

After his vet visit, we took him to PetSaver (his first pet shop trip!). We self-groomed him in their wash room which he didn't seem to mind. It was our first time using one of these rooms, too and we actually had fun! They supply everything and clean up the mess after. So much better than using your own bathtub. Another plus - he got to go shopping!

Currently, we are treating him for the worms and Lyme disease. Hoping he will make a successful recovery to live on to be a happy old man. Stay tuned for more updates as we will be going back to the vet for a follow up in the next few weeks!

BLU!

💛💛💛I set up a GoFundMe account in his name to help us with his vet bills and care - please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/dog-named-blu
Thank you everyone for your support.

AWWWWW!!!! I love stories like this!  I am so happy for you Blu!!!

Have an AWESOME day! 

"I expect to pass through this world but once; 

any good thing therefore that I can do,

or any kindness that I can show to any fellow

creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or

neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."