… we had two 8-month old Apsos home and clean.  Not only matted but urine-soaked feet and bellies.  It took three people and almost six hours to get them cleaned up.  Matted to the skin in various places on their heads, muzzles and around the neck, chest and shoulders.  Feces caked on the rear.  

These boys are horses … I’d guess they weigh 21+ pounds (to put it in perspective, my boys weigh 14.5 to 15 pounds at maturity).  Golden in color with black tipping.  And exceptional temperaments.  Through it all, the only thing they offered were kisses.  No snapping, no biting, no whining … that’s saying a lot given what it took to get them cleaned up. 

They could be twins and we’re having difficulty telling them apart.  At the moment, one has retained baby canines, the other doesn’t.  Neuters are scheduled for the 19th.  They have a bit of separation anxiety but we’re working through that … 

Dawa and Momo

Rub-a-dub-dub ... Apso in the tub

Linda (l) and Debbie (r)

These little cuties … well, not so little … will be available for adoption in the next four to six weeks.  They need to be neutered, caught up on their vaccinations and microchipped.  We’re also in the midst of contacting a trainer/animal behaviorist to work on their separation anxiety.  While they’re getting better, we want to make sure we’re doing all we can for them to ensure they are well-adjusted.

Update:   Spoke with the trainer/behaviorist today.  She does not believe they have separation anxiety.  As they lived in an apartment that didn’t allow pets, every noise was responded to by the owner so that behavior [barking] was reinforced by the attention.  We’re ignoring the barking and it should extinquish itself in the next four to six days.  We’re also using a D.A.P. diffuser and spray as a calming agent.

a/k/a as Mae-Mae — our little foster from a Missouri puppymill — got a new home for the holidays!  Here’s Mae-Mae and her new mom, Jami …

I hear that Mae-Mae is quite spoiled and has declared herself “Queen of the Couch.”  The new home came with a loyal subject in the form of a cat, Zsa Zsa, that took to the dog like a duck to water.  A little birdie also told me that Mae-Mae’s new grandpa has threatened to dognap her … just because she’s so darned sweet!

This is unabashedly a repeat of last year’s post (and the year before)  … the same information holds true for 2010!

Once again, we’re gearing up for the largest dog show in Colorado … The Rocky Mountain Cluster held February 12-15 at the National Western Complex (Expo Hall), 4655 Humboldt in Denver. The Premium List, which contains information on the show, parking, maps and entry, can be found here … Premium List.  The actual times for judging and the ring numbers are not disseminated until just a week before the show; we’ll post a link to the judging program when available.

Update:  As promised, here’s the Judging Program with Apsos as follows:  Friday – Ring 10 at 1:55 pm; Saturday – Ring 9 at 10:35 am; Sunday – Ring 6 at 11:25 am; and Monday – Ring 6 at 1:00 pm.  There will also be a breed seminar at 1:00 pm on Sunday with AKC judge Barbara Schwartz.

If you’re thinking of attending, please be sure to give yourself plenty of time for parking, getting into the facility, and then finding the right ring and some chairs (rings are marked by numbers on tall poles).  Parking, depending on where one finds an open lot, can run anywhere from $5 to $10 — and it may also be a very long walk!  Entry fee to the Expo Hall is $5.  Please note that dogs not entered in the show are not allowed on the site.  If considering crowds/parking, Friday or Monday would probably be the better of the four days to attend.   As the largest show in the region, the selection of vendors and their wares is pretty amazing … if it’s dog related, you’ll find it at this show!  From art prints, to clothing, to grooming supplies, to dog beds, to K9-related jewelry, to crates and tables, it will be at this show.  Might want to bring the plastic along (and keep in mind that the vendors start packing up on Monday for the return home).

Besides the conformation competition, one can also find other venues such as Rally, Obedience, and Agility. These are generally held in the Events Center which fronts 47th Street; Rally is held on the 3rd floor of the main building.  Hope to see you there … it’s a great reason to come out and support the breed!  If you need more information, please feel free to contact me at:  ApsoRescue@aol.com.

Now that things have calmed down somewhat and the holidays are but a distant memory, we’ll start working on getting the Blog updated.  Quite a few changes in the past few months, both personally and with rescue … lots of things to post about.

As many of you know, my father passed away in early September; the next three months were a blur for us.  Besides dealing with his death – physically and emotionally – there was also the matter of cleaning out his house and getting it on the market.  Add into the mix a week-long trip to Carlisle, PA for the American Lhasa Apso Club’s 50th Anniversary and National Specialty … a great show with lots of history.  My souvenir from that trip was a cold, the cough of which lasted 6 weeks.  Then, to top off the year, we got an offer on Dad’s house in mid November … which meant we would spend the next 30 days sorting through what was still in the house, getting it ready for closing and having an estate sale.  So now you know why you didn’t get a Christmas card from rescue this year!! 

We’re getting adjusted to four dogs in the house and Buttons seems to have settled in pretty well, all things considered.  We do note that her sight is getting worse — she didn’t have much to begin with — so that’s something we’re dealing with on a daily basis.  She’s been seen by an ophthalmologist at CSU and had some testing done.  Unfortunately, they believe she has a lesion on the optic nerve and there’s nothing that can be done to improve or restore her sight.  Matters not … she’s home, a promise kept. 

Alrighty then … stay tuned for more info, upcoming events and some exciting news!  We’ll end this with a photo of Dante and his favorite present from Santa Paws …

"I just love my new bed!!"

Something to start your New Year, with a little Tibetan twist to it …

Wishing you and yours all the best of 2010.  Namaste!

A cute video card for the holiday season  … enjoy!

Best Dog in the World …

By T’Mara Goodsell
One’s first love is always perfect until one meets one’s second love. ~ Elizabeth Aston
___________________

Years ago, I owned the very best dog in the world.

I was a child when we got her.  She was a graceful brown hound, a foundling who taught me that our pets are not purchased, but ordained.

She romped when I did and knew how to smile in that funny way that only some dogs have. She grew up with me, always there when I needed her.  My grown hand still remembers the sleek bump on the top of her head and that gentle divot just past her nose that fit my index finger just perfectly.

She passed away during one of my college vacations.  My heart broke then, and I knew that there would never be another dog like her, and there hasn’t been.  I was sure that I could never love another dog as much as I’d loved her.

Fortunately, I was wrong about that part.

My next dog came into my life when I was married.  My husband traveled for a living, and I was often lonely.  This dog grew into a lumbering Wolfhound and Sheepdog mix who taught me patience.  He was a large, grizzled sentry, that dog.  He rarely left my side until the children were born, and then he became their guardian, too.  I can still feel that swirl of fur along his back and the weight of his chin when it rested in my lap.

When he passed away, my heart broke.  As much as I had loved that childhood dog, I had been wrong.  This was the very best dog in the world.  There would never be another dog like him, and there hasn’t been.  I was sure I would never love another dog as much as I’d loved him.

I was wrong again.

We got the next one, a loping black Lab-and-Terrier mix, when the children were little. He taught me the importance of adapting. He was everyone’s dog from the beginning, and that was just as it should be.  When he played tug of war with the children, he dragged them across the kitchen floor as they shrieked with laughter.  He always seemed to sleep in the room of the child who needed his company the most.

These days his face is expressively gray, and he spends more time with me since the almost-grown children aren’t around so much.  The other day my oldest, home from college, played tug of war.  We all laughed — just a little – as the dog was gently pulled across the kitchen floor.

He is, of course, the very best dog in the world.  I will never forget that exquisitely soft tuft of fur behind his ears or the tickley feel when he nuzzles. There won’t be another dog like him.

And that’s okay, because we will never be at this point in our lives again.

Sometimes I’ve wondered why two species that get along so well should have such different life spans.  It just doesn’t seem right.  And then I wonder if that’s part of the lesson:  To teach us that love itself has a spirit that returns again and again and never really dies.

It’s amazing, in a way, how they bring to our ever-changing lives exactly what it is that we need at the moment.  They make room for one another, this family of dogs who has never even met.  And they fit — into our families, into our lives, into our memories, and into our hearts — because they always have been and always will be … the best dogs in the world.

… has arrived in Colorado.  Even though it’s not actually “winter”  yet as December 21st is still a ways off.  Nevertheless, winter is here.  Our first snow dumped 14 inches on the flat and formed drooping cornices where the wind swirled off the back of the garage.  One good snow and I’m ready for spring.  I dread the short days that come with a return to Mountain Standard Time, preferring the long lazy days of summer.  I’d much rather watch the flowers grow and the dogs play in the yard than heavy gray skies and blowing snow.

The dogs don’t seem to share the same sentiment.  First snow and they’re doing their best snowplow impression, kicking up heels as they run to and fro.  Every now and again, a nose is dropped and the plow carves out a long furrow.  A face finally emerges, encrusted with snow crystals … a proper little mountain dog from Tibet!

We added a bit of color to the winter landscape this year … a vertical Tibetan prayer flag.  Lots of prayers going up that day!  You’ll note we have double fencing — wooden privacy and a 24-inch high interior fence.  The short fence was put up for several reasons:  (1) to prevent the boys from fence fighting with the dogs to the east and south, (2) to confine all of them to the grass areas and out of the bark, (3) to keep Frankers from chasing squirrels and re-injuring his SI joint, and (4) to keep Dad’s partially-blind Tzu from getting lost in the vegetation behind the garage.  Success on all accounts and it has definitely cut down on the barking outside.  A  good thing as barking dogs are not tolerated.  It’s rude and neither I — nor the neighbors — want to hear it.

Franker’s favorite part of winter is … when Mom drags out the fleece throw and curls up on the couch.  He’s claimed the spot right behind my knees, settling in for a long evening nap.  Standing beside the couch he waits until I’m settled and then hops up … never fails no matter what season it is.  He eventually gets too warm and starts panting.  At that point, I have to tell him to get down as he won’t leave on his own.  That’s my boy.

May you all have a warm fire and a dog at your feet for the winter.

Addendum:  Since we’re on the subject of winter, a couple photos taken with yet another storm that blew through Nov. 14th …

One of the birdhouses made by my father … after he retired he enjoyed putzing around in the yard and doing woodwork.  His back fence was lined with houses for the little red finches.

Below, our Green Man sporting a snowy cap along with a nose warmer …

… on our little senior, Kalsang who went to his new home in September.  He’s doing just fabulous and his new Mom thinks he’s pretty special …

“We got the I.D. yesterday and appreciate all the trouble you went to for us.  Halloween was very quiet but Kalsang was good and seemed to understand what was going on.   He is a big hit at the Dog Club [training class] because he is more of a senior observer and contributes his wisdom when he feels like it. Ha Ha.  I personally think he is the cutest dog there.  He performs when he has his turn and then stays quiet laying by my side.  He loves going and enjoys the social part and the different smells.  He may have a little trouble with ears and eyes but his nose is in overdrive!  We try to walk twice a day for about 20 minutes each time and he isn’t as concerned when I leave because he is allowed to roam the house more freely and I tell him I’ll be back soon and he knows I mean it.  We have cut way back on treats because he is more secure now. He is just the most perfect dog!  He does love to get covered with snow and talk about muddy feet!  But what’s a mother to do.  I just love the fact that he doesn’t mind being cleaned up after he has a good romp in the yard.  He is laying near me now.  I really have the “good fortune”.    Later,  Mary

… needed for one of our former fosters.  I always knew this day would come … a day wherein a phone call is received concerning one of the dogs we’ve placed.  Knew it would be difficult for the owners who opened their hearts and home to a rescue years long past to make this call.

BooBoo was our first out-of-state transport into rescue.  Originally from Oklahoma City, he caught a ride to Colorado with a gal that was headed home to the Springs after a lure-coursing trial.  We met at a truck stop in Limon, Colorado … a fair piece from my home, especially so when the meet /greet was set for 11:00 p.m.  Hubby, bless his heart, insisted that I wasn’t driving it alone.  I’m glad he was there as it was 2:00 a.m. when we pulled into our driveway.   Despite the late hour, it was a beautiful drive home across the southeastern plains under a brilliant full moon. 

BooBoo is a charmer.  We had friends over for dinner in July 2003 … BooBoo found an accommodating lap and proceeded to insist on sitting in it for most of the evening.  Boo went home with them that night and never looked back.

A CT scan is scheduled at CSU on Wednesday morning as well as a biopsy to examine a growth on the roof of his mouth.  At the moment, it can be one of three things:  a foreign object that entered through the nose and lodged in the palate/sinuses with resultant infection, a fungal infection of the sinuses, or a tumor which can be benign or cancerous.   We’re hoping an infection caused by a foreign object is the diagnosis as a fungal infection will require a 5- to 6-hour surgery to scrape the sinuses out.  A cancer diagnosis brings its own set of problems.

Please keep this little one and his family in your thoughts and prayers …’

UPDATE:   Boo did not undergo the CT scan this morning as his symptoms subsided on Saturday and haven’t returned.  The vets at CSU recommended a “wait/see” treatment program.  It’s entirely possible he got something up his nose and it is now gone.   Woohooo!! 

 ... for Kalsang!   Senior dog placed with a senior owner.  She found us at the Animal House pet expo last weekend and fell in love with Kalsang (Tibetan meaning “good fortune”).  She had about given up on ever having a dog again as she wanted an older one.  What she’d found so far were either too young (read that “hyper”) or gone before she could get there. 

Prior to the home check, she made dog cookies and bought a crate.  Said if she didn’t get him, she’d donate the crate to rescue.  Sharp lady … 73 and still does her own house/yard work, scoops snow, and plays clarinet in a senior band twice a week.  We had an apsolutely delightful visit for the homecheck.  House was immaculate (hmmm, wonder if she’d like a part-time job).  When I commented on how clean her house was, she replied, “Too damn clean, it’s a dead house … needs a dog to give it some life.” 

We discount our adoption fees for the senior dogs … she, however, added $75 to the fee stating “use it for whatever is needed”  What a gem!

From a raggedy little dog lost  …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To a bright, new future for the golden boy …

 

 

May they enjoy “Lhasa” happy, healthy years together!

Despite the unseasonably cool and wet weather, we had a good day.  Got to meet lots of folks and the dogs were little troopers, putting their best paw forward. 

Kalsang also got a much-needed trim to his bangs so we can see his handsome face.  Isn’t he cute?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

… and this just in.  Our little red foster, Mae-Mae …

… on Saturday, September 12th at the 2nd Annual Pet Expo as sponsored by the Animal House located at 1104 Vine Drive in Fort Collins (corner Shields and Vine).  We’ll have our two current fosters available, Kalsang and Mae-Mae.

Look for the prayer flags!

And then there were five.  Five dogs in the house.  We have three — Ali, Frankers and Dante.  The current foster makes four.  Time to make good on a promise.

After my parents’ third miniature poodle passed away (neurotic little creatures, I tell ya!), I finally talked them into a different breed.  A Shih Tzu to be exact.  Cute as a button, that became her name … Buttons.  And only after I talked them into it as they wanted to name a black/white dog “Buffy” – until I made them watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer.   Along with the gift of a wriggling puppy 10+ years ago, there came a promise … should anything happen or their health fail, Buttons would come live with me. 

Mom died 2.5 years ago, the victim of a massive stroke.  Buttons helped fill the grief-filled hours and gave my father reason to get up in the morning.  She, in turn, sought him out as never before in the past.  A deeper bond was formed in the ashes of their loss.

Buttons has been with me off and on since the end of March.  Dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer then and it was originally thought to be a “low grade” cancer.  Another procedure is performed in mid-June and we find a “fast, aggressive” cancer.  July 2nd brings the emergency surgery to remove bladder and a cancerous bowel obstruction.  The recommended post-surgical treatment — a grueling regimen of radiation and chemo — is refused (wisely, all things considered).  August runs together with two more hospitalizations in as many weeks.  For each emergency, Buttons and all her necessities are packed up and hauled to our house.  Easily done as she’s intimately familiar with our home and the other dogs. 

I suspect the doctors will move Dad to the hospice ward in days/hours as the bowel obstructions can’t be controlled or fixed.  He is drawn and frail, having lost 25+ pounds since July.  An obvious withering is present even though I see him daily.  Family has been called in — better get here while he’s still cognizant.  In short, he lies dying in a hospital bed … and his little dog sleeps quietly at my feet.

Time to pony up.  Papa … your beloved Buttons is my baby now.  Loved for who she’s been all these years and cherished as the last link to you.  ‘Til we meet at the Bridge when I escort her home …

The little red dog ... Mae-Mae

… is an absolute joy.  And the resilience and adaptability of the canine never ceases to amaze me.  Mae-Mae — our little puppy mill survivor — has been here five weeks now.  Other than watching her a little more closely to monitor her house training, you’d think she’s been here forever.  Nothing short of astounding as she lived her entire life in a puppy mill.  Many of the mill dogs are fearful, having had little human contact, and their adjustment can take months or even years.  Some never get over the trauma.

Mae-Mae sleeps through the night in her crate.  She toilets appropriately having decided the grass is more “user friendly” than the concrete or stone patios.  She knows what “outside, go potty” means .. and will do exactly that … walk outside into the grass and go potty.  She dances for her food bowl and will take a treat from my hand.  She delights in being petted and will seek out this attention.  She is comfortable being picked up as she no longer splays her front legs out, stiff as a board and as wide as they’ll spread.  My Apsos are not lap dogs per se; however Mae-Mae definitely is and a favorite evening pasttime entails curling up next to me on the couch.  She probably thinks she’s died and gone to heaven.  In her five weeks here, she’s taught herself — with little input from me — to walk nicely on a leash.

Her greatest joy, I believe, is having the freedom to run in the yard.  Zoom, zoom … there she goes with a happy grin on her face.  Sometimes she just sits and suns herself, contented to soak up the warming rays.  I would surmise that her former surroundings were rather dark and dismal.

Sugar doesn’t come any sweeter than this little red dog …

Kalsang

Kalsang (“Kehl-sang” … Tibetan meaning “good fortune”) is an 8- to 10-year old Lhasa Apso who came to us from the county humane society. He was found urine-soaked and matted to the skin. He had extreme ear infections and an eye infection. The HS, who believed he was about 5 years old, cleaned him up, shaved him to the skin and began medical treatment. After their assessment, they believed he was just too sweet of a dog to wait out a new home there so they contacted our organization.

The first week in foster care was just plain sad. Kalsang didn’t move, had no reactions to anything; paid no attention to his foster home mates. He cried when he walked and cried when he slept. He was a dog with no soul. 

By the end of the first week we had him evaluated at our own vet. It was confirmed that he was older than the humane society believed him to be. Although his ear infections were cleared up, we began treating his eye infection and arthritis.

In just a few short days, a new dog began to emerge. First, with his pain under control, he was able to sleep comfortably all night in his crate. Small moments of play were noticed, either with a toy, a nylabone or with his foster home mates. It was brief, but signs of life began to show.   Now — several weeks later — his eye infection is cleared up, he’s on daily OTC meds to control his arthritic pain and his activity level has increased exponentially.

Kalsang is house trained and sleeps in a crate at night. Because of his age, his activity level is low and most likely will always be; a true couch potato. He will find a toy to carry around or chew a nylabone for awhile.  He also enjoys a Kong with filling to pass his time.  Kalsang is a good eater and loves his treats. He gets along with other small, low activity-type dogs and cats. He has shown interest in investigating his yard and surroundings, but never goes too far.

This senior would make a great companion for someone who matches his activity level. Kalsang is very loving and greets everyone as though he’s always known them.  Kalsang certainly deserves ‘good fortune’ for the rest of his life and a loving home to see to this old boy’s simple needs.  While technically a “senior,” he has many good years left … it is not uncommon for Apsos to live 15-17 happy, healthy years

Somebody needs their bangs cut ...

UPDATE!!  Kalsang has literally bloomed in foster care.  He’s got more energy, is playing with toys and the other dogs.  Just a couple days ago, he emptied the toybox.  Not sure what he was looking for but he was a dawg on a mission.  Yesterday, he was at the fence — barking at the goats.  I’m sure he was telling them that was his yard and they weren’t welcome.   Like fine wine, this old boy just keeps getting better and better.  A true gentleman, he’d make an excellent companion for someone not interested in daily walks … a few cruises a day around the backyard  is sufficient.

 

Mae-Mae

… is Mae-Mae.  And she’s a puppy mill survivor from Missouri.  Despite her lack of socialization and handling, she’s an unbelievably sweet little dog.  Living in a puppy mill, she has no household skills and is unfamiliar with even the most basic of sounds.  Like the telephone or the dishwasher.

She had her rescue exam this morning.  The vet’s office was a bit chaotic with ill-behaved and/or loud dogs.  Mae-Mae just sat there, taking it all in.  More than one person commented on how calm she was.  Pretty amazing considering what she’s *not* been exposed to in the past.  As suspected, she has a pretty severe infection in both ears.  They will need to be flushed out while she’s under anesthesia to extract a broken canine tooth.  The spay sutures will be removed as well. 

More to follow on this little one as we update her progress in foster care … and her new life outside the confines of a wire cage and endless breeding.

Update  22 July– I can tell she’s feeling better now that the ear meds are beginning to work.  With the amount of black goo that was coming out during the daily cleanings, I’m pretty certain she was in quite a bit of pain from the infection.

Mae-Mae is already crate trained and sleeps the night through.  She gets along with the resident critters, dogs and cat alike.  She has good canine social skills and respects the corrections that Ali and Frankers issue, modifying her behavior appropriately.  She loves to run in the grass/yard — something she’s never had an opportunity to do before. 

At the moment, we’re trying to impress upon her that the plastic airline crate in the bedroom is the same as the wire crate in the front room.  I’d like her to sleep with the rest of the pack; however, her digging at the door when placed in the airline crate doesn’t work for sleepy humans (makes hubby really grumpy).  Baby steps … she spent a little time there this morning while I was getting ready for work.  Both times when she started to dig and get all twitterpated, a quick “ehh, ehh, no!” stopped the behavior.  She’s a quick study …

… come in many forms.  For one little dog, her angel came in the guise of a cross-country trucker.  This particular angel has a name.  “Tom” to be exact.  He’s based in Colorado and makes regular runs to/from the East coast — which means a lot if you’re trying to coordinate getting a dog from back east transported to Colorado.  While one can find many a transport in the mid-west and eastern states, same can not be said of Colorado.  Having Tom out there and willing to go the extra mile to get a dog where it needs to be is a blessing.  His motto … “If it fits, it gits!”

Our deepest thanks to Tom for providing this service!

Okay folks … here’s an easy way to support rescue!  Click on the link and then the header that says, “Vote for Your Favorite Rescue Story.”  Then scroll down, find “Buddy” and cast your vote!  Helen Brown, the national rescue coordinator for the American Lhasa Apso Club, is doing the introduction during the video. 

 

Purina Pro Plan Rally to Rescue®

 

Come on and get behind your breed!

There’s a reason why we don’t normally take senior dogs into rescue.  Actually several reasons.  Most folks looking to adopt a dog are not in the market for an older companion as they’d like to spend more  than just a year or two (or even less) with their new best friend.  Many times, the old dogs arrive with serious behavioral and/or medical problems.  Rescue has a term for these dogs … “forever fosters.”  “Forever” because they usually end up spending the rest of their lives in foster care.  The problem with that scenario is spacing  and funding.  Available space is at a premium — at least for us — and having a forever foster takes up a spot that could be used for a younger, more adoptable dog.  Funding is always an issue so taking care of an elderly dog becomes problematic.

For me, the seniors are particularly difficult.  It usually starts with a phone call and a voice on the other end saying, “I need to get rid of my dog.”  The vocalization “get rid of” is distasteful as it brings to mind a worn out item or a piece of trash that needs to be disposed of.  Often times it is an elderly dog that outlived its usefulness for whatever reason.  No matter how many times I review the applications on my waiting list, I don’t have someone looking for an old, sick dog.  These poor dogs that have given their life to their family only to be turned out when their need was greatest.  It then falls to me to tell them that we have no one interested in an elderly dog.  And that if they take it to the shelter, he or she will spend its last days — frightened and confused — before dying at the hands of strangers.  Far better for them to take it to the vet and make that last journey in the arms of loved ones.  Despite having “the speech” memorized, there are still times when my voice breaks, the emotion spilling over.   One of the first things my rescue mentor taught was that we can’t save them all.  I truly know that with my heart … however, it doesn’t make it any easier some days.  Harder yet is having to put down a rescue for medical or behavioral issues.  Even though it’s not one of my dogs, it still hurts.  Rescue isn’t supposed to end that way.

Having said all that … we find ourselves with a senior in rescue.  A stray, he was pulled from the Larimer Humane Society.  We know little of his story other than the fact he’s been long neglected — whether in his former “home” or because he was on his own for an extended period of time.  We also know he is the product of a puppy mill because his microchip was traced to the Hunte Corporation — a known broker of puppies produced in the mills of misery and sold in pet stores.  His coat was matted to the skin and urine soaked resulting in a complete shave-down at the shelter.  Nothing more pitiful than a buck-naked Apso.

Our rescue exam revealed he has had a long-standing eye infection.  Thankfully, he does not have KCS or “dry eye” as it’s commonly known.  His age is estimated to be 8- to 10-years old … not all that old for an Apso but which still puts him in the “senior” category.  He does have arthritis on the right front/rear; however, he’s responding quite well to the Rimadyl, even trying to play with the resident foster home dogs.  Some high-powered supplements are on the way and we’re hopeful he’ll get good relief from those as well. 

Despite how rough his recent days/years have been, this dog is exceptional.  He greets everyone as a long-lost friend.  If you are familiar with Apsos, you know that’s not always the case.  When I picked him up at the pound, he came out of the kennel — head and tail up — and offered himself in greeting.  Those old soul eyes saying “I’m yours … take me with you.”  And then he buried his head in my hands, taking whatever comfort he could find in the moment, however brief.  As is our tradition, we’ve given him a Tibetan name.  Kalsang (pronounced “Kehl-sang”) and meaning “good fortune.” 

Perhaps it will be Kalsang’s good fortune to find a forever home in the twilight of his years … a home that understands that the love of an old dog is, indeed, a special gift.