This makes me mad and sad..

[Checkers]

If I would even be considered as an adopty for a dog of that age, I definetly would. I have looked into it before, but older dogs and young kids just don't seem to mix. When my kids are older I would absolutely add an older dog to the family... several even, taking into account whatever our living situations are at the time. My husband should be retiring from the military when Justin is 10 years old... so we hope at that point to be finding a permanent home with some land. If/when that happens I will have horses again (I MISS having horses), hopefully some sheep (for herding, of course), and will do my best to help as many rescue-needing corgi as I can at any given time. That's my dream anyhow.

[pat_m]

Same here...

My wife and I will be looking to adopt another Corgi once the number of cats in our home goes from 4 to 2.

There would be no hesitation on our part talking in an older dog - All of our cats are elderly and/or disabled.

It's the joy of giving them a home...

[corgimom]

Originally Posted by glencorgi

Okay, here's a question for you. Outrage and everything else aside; how many of you would offer to adopt or be a recipient of an owner re-home of this age?

Debbie

If this Cody is as nice as he sounds, I would not have a problem with him being that age as long as he had no food or toy aggession, given that I have cats. That was part of my reason for getting a puppy this time after my last Corgi passed on;
I actually looked at dogs on line(one that was a Corgi mix), but they said he was food aggressive and I did not want to take the chance with him around my cats. However, I am at my limit with 4 animals.

Deb,I don't understand why these people don't want assistance from you guys - isn't that what you said? or have they changed their mind. Don't they realize that you and others do this every day in regards to Corgi rescue and know what to look for in finding a good fit/owner? I would think on their own, they are going to have a harder time finding little Cody a new home. Maybe they/she, wants to pick the owner because she wants to keep a "connection" with the people that they choose. I find the hubby incredibly selfish and if he wants to travel so much, let him do it on his own. -I think it is all an excuse to just get rid of the "old" dog; and how someone does this to a family pet for convenience after all those years, is beyond me.

[Dillydoodle]

Deleted my post

[ZdogZ]

I would take on an older dog if I didn't have Zip. I don't think Zip could or would handle an older dog, especially a male. I think I'll tell my step-brother and his wife about this case. They take in rescue dogs/cats all of the time. They built an addition onto their house just for the animals. They all have beds, real beds, not animal beds. They spent thousands on various animals, thousands each.

[darci]

Gosh Emilie you read my mind.

I feel like such a heel but it would take a lot of soul searching on my part to adopt a dog at age 11, knowing the loss I would feel when he passed.

I honestly just dont know.

[ZdogZ]

They have an update on Cody. It says he is going to his new home. I hope it is a home where he will be loved and cherished. I still can't believe those people would give him up. Poor, Cody!

[corgimom]

I just saw the update on him also. Hope it will be a wonderful family who will value him for what he has to offer.

[glencorgi]

Thanks everyone for their thoughtful and honest answers. Seniors, not necessarily any more "issues" as far as getting along with other animals than any other age of rescues or even dogs bought from a breeder. Seniors and young children; hey I'm extremely cautious about placing corgis of any age in homes with young children because of the number of turn-ins we have because of incidents with children.

There are a few on the rescue list, social cause du jour rescuers who's activity is limited to computer chair "rescuing" - don't get their hands dirty, don't pull or foster or anything in the trenches - but more than happy to direct everyone else to do so and usually cross country. Makes the rescue story details look all that more dramatic and worthy of Animal Planet airtime. So many times there will be a tag line of ... always a soft spot for seniors - yet, one will never see them actually take one. So while yes Corgi Rescue is an option for them, where do they go from there? Anyone venture a guess? Is it thought we have a warehouse of "perfect homes" just waiting?

Seniors, yes there is the given that their life span isn't not going to be as long as one would want with them; but is it ever long enough even with one raised from puppyhood? And there's no guarantee that the one brought home at 8, 10, 12 weeks is going to make it to 12 - 14 years.

Seniors have been some of my all time favorite fosters - they have such personalities and character. I've shared the story of my little red hat lady Kergan.

The majority of these are owner turn-ins also. So a question for Susan, how will mandatory spay neuter laws prevent future situations such as Cody's?

Okay, here's another "exercise" for you all. You get to be Rescue Barbie. Your new foster is an owner turn-in 13 years of age already in the last stages of kidney failure, but active no real signs of being symptomatic. He's not adoptable, but has an incredible zest and joy for life in everything he does. What do you do?

Debbie

[Chip's Mom]

Well Deb - if it was me, I would probably keep him or her to live the rest of it's life in my home. I have one of those so I know the battle. At least with lady, it is an up and down battle everyday. The other day, we couldn't find her and thought she had gone to Rainbow Bridge. We found her sound asleep in Chip's crate and both of us in a panic. Some days she eats, some days she doesn't. She is on gourmet anything she will eat food. some days she acts like a spring chicken other days she sleeps all day and we just shake our heads. My husband has called me at work because she wouldn't eat. We have almost put her to sleep several times and then she springs back. Sorry now back to your thread but I would keep her.

[Bayoucorgi]

Oh Debbie, why do you ask such tough questions! I think I would do what I would do for my own dogs - my homebred 13 yo Champion girl died in July and her 14 yo brother died Dec. 9. They lived as long as they were happy. We did not do invasive and futile surgery late in their lives. When they let me know it was time to go, my sweet vets and I helped them go quickly and gently.

I was a rescue chairwoman for several years. I was "in the trenches" and the shelters. I suffered from post-traumatic stress from it. Now I know that a peaceful death in loving arms is not the worst thing.

I got my beloved Liam from Rescue via Petfinder 5 months ago. He was an 8-month-old owner turn in (OTI) because he was living 22 hours a day in a crate. His owners realized they "didn't have time for a puppy". I am perpetually thankful for their self-honesty that they surrendered this wonderful dog to the rescue. Now he has a home with 3 kids and "parents" who play with him constantly. He has 2 cats to harass. He gets to play in the house most of the time, run in the yard, go for walks, WORK WOOLIES, learn trix, and he is a HAPPY dog. Sometimes we call him by his old name to see if he remembers. He never acknowledged the old name, he is now (and forever) Liam.

I peruse every other week or so and saw this OTI case. It's seems harsh to give up the old dog, but at least they were honest about their situation and it seems they were responsible about finding the "right" home and just not the "first" home that applied. It is admirable that they didn't just call the rescue and say they had to "get rid" of him.

I have learned that sometimes people have to place their pets and it isn't because they got tired of them or didn't love them. Sometimes people's lives change or their circumstances change beyond their control.

Let me share two rescue stories - one was "David's" overweight, middle-aged dog. He called and said he had to place his dog THAT DAY because his parents were making him move out and he couldn't take her to an apartment. I was frustrated that he wasn't willing to take the extra time and effort to look for a place that he could take her. When he drove up I saw that his car had hand controls. He deftly pulled the wheelchair from behind his front seat and slid himself into it. He got his dog out and gave me her leather leash, her plushy bed, her dishes, her huge bucketful of toys, and he held her while he cried and said good-bye. I sobbed with them and for them. He told me he had looked for months and couldn't find a place close to his work, that he could afford, that would accept his dog. He made a cash donation to rescue. He wrote me several times after we placed her to make sure she was still happy. He said that if there hadn't been rescue he didn't know what he would have done. We found his dog her forever home with a similar-aged dog friend. They were friends until the day she laid down in the shade under the hammock and didn't wake up on this side.

Another was sweet gentle Rusty. He was also a middle-aged OTI. His retired owners gave him up so they could "travel". I later learned that his "mom" had cancer and they wanted to travel before she got too ill. (They didn't tell me this). Sometimes we don't get the whole story on the front page.

I used to get mad at OTI's too. I don't like irresponsible people who made an impulsive choice to get a puppy and then realized later they shouldn't have. But better that they OTI than keep them in an unloving home or tie them up outside or be violent out of frustration or neglect or abandon them.

Debbie. What can I say, but thank you for doing what you do.

[corgimom]

BayouCorgi,

You are right, we can often make hasty judgements without hearing the entire story - me for one on this posting on Petfinder regarding Cody. Sometimes I go through the senior animals listed on there up for adoption and it is heartbreaking to read stories of owners who don't want to take care of them in their elderly years due to medical issues.
And you are right, peoples circumstances can change beyond their control; they can lose jobs, become ill or divorce and are unable to care for a dog financially.

Deb, in regards to your question about what would one do with the rescue in regards to Kidney failure, I would have agree with Bonnie, in that I would keep him in my home and care for him; making life comfortable for him until that could no longer be possible. Though I am relating a story regarding my senior cat who we had to put to sleep 2 years ago, because he had heart disease which led to kidney failure; it was not easy caring for an ill animal, but I felt he still had quality time to be here and when it was obvious that his quality of being comfortable was gone, and medical intervention could no longer help, I made the right decision; but it gave me 10 extra months with him, 6 months longer than the doctor predicted - I think they can surprise us as times.

And Deb,

In regards to rescue, I know it takes more than a kind heart and a love for animals or a particular breed to help them, it takes money, and don't all rescues work on donations? I am wondering when you have Corgis, maybe elderly ones in rescue that may need expensive medical care, who pays for all of that, if there aren't enough funds - Corgiaid, or does it often come out of the Rescue goups personal pockets? and did you ever have to make the difficult decision that there just wasn't enough money to go around to help a particular dog?