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The Florida Kees!
Some of our permanent residents at the Resort are a group of Keeshonden (plural of Keeshond) that were rescued from a puppy mill type breeder here in Florida. We do not know what kind of miserable life these dogs suffered before being rescued, but they came to us in varying states of poor nutrition, matted coats soaked in urine, and almost every intestinal parasite known to modern veterinary medicine. One had a painful, untreated injury and another endured months of treatment under our veterinarian's close supervision for a severe skin infection (caused by a neglected case of mange) before growing in a beautiful thick coat. They range from fearful to just about feral. They have bonded to each other and move about the yard outside in a group as if connected somehow. It's like watching a school of fish swim around an aquarium. None of them will approach a person but they all tolerate being handled and groomed. Two of them seem to actually like being cuddled once in a lap. They have come a long way but are still not ready to be adopted into individual homes. They may never be. Please remember this when you see a cute puppy in a pet store or being sold online. These are the type of parent dogs that puppy probably came from! These dogs all tested negative for heartworms (happy surprise) and have been vaccinated and spayed or neutered. Chose one (or more) dog to sponsor: Boy, Maude, Gia, Quicha, or Baby |
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Howard - Chow Chow
Howard the Coward from Broward. On my way home from a road trip to rescue a different dog (who has since been adopted into her forever home) I stopped at a service plaza on the Florida Turnpike (in Broward County). It was a typical hot and humid August afternoon and directly in front of where I parked my car was a young black dog tied to a small sapling tree in direct sunlight. He was panting heavily and had dug a shallow trench to try to escape the heat of the sun. I scoured the kiosks and restaurants inside the building for a possible owner but nobody knew anything about the dog. I brought him water and waited with him for his owner who never came ... neither did animal control or the police in spite of my repeated calls. After almost an hour it was evident he was starting to suffer from the heat so I decided to remove him from the rope and get him out of there. Typical Chow, he wanted nothing to do with a stranger and soiled himself trying to get away from me. I managed to get him untied and into my air-conditioned vehicle without being bitten and by the time we arrived home (thanks to chicken nuggets), he was in my lap and had accepted me as a friend. In spite of going to work with me every day, taking weekly outings to pet friendly stores and restaurants, and attending obedience classes, Howard remained unaccepting of new humans. He's sort of a mascot now and will live out his life here at The Resort where he feels secure. |
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Josie - Boxer
Josie is a little bit older and a little bit slower and has been bounced around a few homes throughout her life. While there is nothing wrong with her to prevent her from being considered adoptable, we feel she deserves stability in her Golden Years and doesn't need to go through adjusting to a new home again. It took her quite a while to settle in so we're going to just let her enjoy her retirement here where she is comfortable and happy. |