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Location: Across the Country
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08-04-2011, 07:25 PM
Sweet Starry – Good with dogs & cats (Oldies Club, fostered Tyne & Wear)
All photos on this page are © Jessica Penaluna. Thank you Jess!
Starry is a 14 year old Labrador X who came into Oldies Club care after her owner went into residential care. Starry had been in kennels for 5 months, and she had another spell in kennels a few months before that, so she’s had a pretty miserable time over the last year. Starry is in an Oldies Club foster home in Newcastle upon Tyne, waiting for someone to offer her a permanent home.
Settled within a week: Considering Starry has had a lot of upheaval, she settled quite quickly at her foster home. Her foster carer says “She was a little aloof to start with but after a few days she started to wag her tail when she saw me, then came over to see me, and now she comes to sit on the settee next to me, resting her head on my leg. The playful side of Starry is starting to show through.” Starry paces backwards and forwards when she needs to go out and until her foster carer learnt this cue, Starry had a couple of weeing accidents by the door; but she is basically a clean girl, despite her long spell in kennels.
Good with dogs and cats: Starry is absolutely fine with other dogs and gets on well with the two dogs in her foster home. She has also met lots of dogs on walks and hasn’t had any problems with them. Starry lived with a cat in her previous home. She isn’t used to living with children and so any children in her new home would need to be teenagers.
Out and about: Starry has been walked mainly on lead but goes off lead when there is no chance of her getting lost. She follows the other dogs, but if it is dark/dusk she can’t see that well and can get disorientated, so it’s best to keep her on lead at those times. She’s very good in the car but, due to an old cruciate ligament injury, she sometimes needs a bit of help to get in. Care needs to be taken as, when her foster carer first helped her in, Starry felt sharp pain and tried to nip. You could either use a ramp to help her in, or let her sit in the back of the car rather than the boot so that it is easier for her to get in.
Starry’s likes: Starry likes food!! When she went into the kennels in June she was very overweight as she had been fed a poor diet. With strict dieting she is now at a good weight and, although she does look slightly thin, the vet thinks she is fine. If there is any way of getting food she will get it – so, you will need to Starry-proof your kitchen cupboards and anywhere else you might have food hidden away!!
Starry’s dislikes: Starry has an old injury that affects her left back knee and she is not keen on the leg being picked up.
Starry’s perfect home: Her foster carer tells us… “The best home for Starry would be where someone is around a lot as that is what she is used to, however she has been fine when left for a few hours with the company of my dogs. Having another dog for company would be good for her, but if her human is around a lot that probably isn’t necessary. Although she is happy to walk with other dogs, and even lie by them, she doesn’t mix with them all the time and sometimes just lies by herself. I don’t think she would cope well with a boisterous younger dog, but an older, more steady dog would be fine for her. She needs a confident, experienced owner as, during her settling in period, on occasions where she was frightened or in pain, she has nipped. She is wary if your hand is above her head or if she feels cornered”.
Health notes: Starry is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and flea treated. She is quite agile and active for a 14 year old. She has a heart murmur but she has a strong heartbeat and currently doesn’t need medication for the murmur. She has an old cruciate ligament injury to her left back knee and this has led to her being unable to sit – she tends to either stand or lie down. She has some fatty lumps which are not a problem, and her eyesight is not what it was, but that is to be expected in a dog of her age.
Foster carer’s summary: Starry is a lovely girl. She has had an unsettled year and was unsure to start with, but with TLC and patience she comes round. The few issues noted above occurred in her first week and have not been a real problem, just minor issues. She has a very sweet nature and, given the right home, she will make a lovely companion. She doesn’t ask for a lot, she just needs some love, the right care and some patience. She is a pleasure to have around the house. She will bark if she sees someone outside of the house but it is not a persistent bark, just a warning. Whoever adopts Starry will be very lucky!
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If you can offer Starry a permanent home, please refer to our Adoption Procedures for information about the adoption process. You can then contact an Oldies Club rehoming co-ordinator as follows:
Email: rehome@oldies.org.uk
Telephone: 0844 586 8656
She can be rehomed anywhere in the UK, subject to a satisfactory home visit, but note that you will be required to travel to the foster home to meet her.
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If you would love to offer a home to an oldie but your circumstances aren’t suitable, perhaps you would be kind enough to sponsor one of the special oldies we are caring for that, due to health problems, are unlikely to be offered a permanent home.
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Location: Across the Country
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 137
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