It was a typical day for me, off to the Vet to pay some bills. While I was there I decided to go and have a look at the pound that they have the contract for, I can never help myself.

I heard the bark first. It was a constant woof!!..woof!!..woof!! I could tell instantly this dog was unhappy and distressed and then I saw him.

He took my breath away, so old and so thin. ‘You poor old thing’, I said, and his tail started to wag just slowly.
I talked to him for a little while then I had to go. I thought about him all the way to my next appointment, have we got room to take him, he is going to have to be a long term permanent foster, he is at least 15 years old with possibly failing health, wonder what he is like with other dogs. The thoughts were endless and my emotions were all over the place.

All I could think about was I cannot leave him there to die. He is not going to die in the pound, not if I can help it. I called the pound and put my name on him which means if he is not claimed by his owners they would call me. Well the call came and yes I could take him but he has a grade four heart murmur, he has the start of kidney failure and he seems to be a constant barker. The good news being he is showing no outward signs of heart failure and he is as old as the hills so kidney failure at his age we can deal with and the barking, well he is distressed with his surroundings so I am sure that won’t continue. ‘I will take him’ I said. The way I looked at it is, if he has two weeks or two months he will live with me and my family and see out his last days knowing he is cared for and loved.

Well Buzz, as he is known, courtesy of my four year old after Buzz Light-year, has settled in like he has always been here. He is a gentle soul who is happy to laze around inside or out and do his own thing.

Buzz will have a home with us for however long he is on this earth and we will love and care for him until the end of his days.

Unfortunately rescue does not always have happy endings. Buzz passed away three days later. Knowing that he was cared for and loved in those three days were so worth the tears we cried.

RIP Buzzy boy.

Sasha has progressed wonderfully. She has regrown most of her fur and and is looking beautiful. The most exciting piecen of news is that she has found her forever home.. She is such a placid and loving girl who just wants to please and we hope she will have a wonderful life in her new home. She certainly deserves it!!!!

Our most sincere thanks go to Christine and family for fostering Sasha and for their dedication to bringing her back to full health. They have done a wonderful job and I know that Sasha loves them for all their care.

Being involved in animal rescue certainly has its rewards and sometimes it’s down right heart breaking. Our little dog Dawson passed away today, the 3rd February 2011 at 5.30 am. He left this world cradled in my arms knowing how much he was loved.

Dawson came into our lives about four years ago at age eleven. It was love at first sight. Here was this timid pint sized ball of black and white fluff that weighed about 2.5kg just staring at us. He was beautiful. Dawson was a typical boy and made our home his very quickly if you know what I mean!!

Dawson went on a trip to the vets and along with neutering he had to have all his teeth removed; none were salvageable so he was known as our little gummy bear.

It angers me that Dawson’s first eleven years of life were so very different from the last four.

Dawson was not treated as part of the family or as the loved little companion he could and should have been, it is such a shame. I feel sad that he didn’t get to experience the whole 15 years with us. Four years wasn’t long enough.
We take on older dogs because we believe that they still have so much to offer and more importantly to make up for the not so good years they have experienced and to make the time they have left the ones they remember.

We would like to finish by saying, Dawson you are going to be missed by all of us, you were a funny little man who never stopped making the furniture yours, but we loved you despite this. We will miss your funny little mouth with no teeth, and you trying to lick us with your manky out of control tongue.

You truly were a beautiful boy and you were very much loved and you will be sadly missed. xoxo

Mandy, Wayne, Charli and Josie

Sasha was taken to the pound as a stray in an appalling state. Missing a large amount of fur mainly from her back end, she was flea ridden and scratching furiously. Obviously she had been in this condition for some time. Despite the lack of treatment and care she has such a beautiful nature, loving and affectionate and very well behaved.

In the pound system Sasha didn’t stand a chance. Due to lack of space and the unlikelihood that she would be adopted, she would be held for the required 8 days and then euthanised. Fortunately she had a guardian angel. We received a call to ask if we would take her on. Of course, we said yes.

Sasha was taken into foster care and since then has blossomed. With weekly medicated baths, flea treatment, a course of antihistamines and alot of TLC, she is now growing some fur on her bald bits. She is much happier in herself and has stopped scratching. Her foster mum, Chris, says she is just gorgeous and is fitting in well with her other animals. Sleeping on the bed and lounging in the garden, her life has changed dramatically. And she is loving it!!!!

Sheba came to us when she was 12 years old and gave us nearly 7 years of wonderful memories. She showed us that an older rescue dog is just as rewarding as a pup or young dog.

Sheba has inspired us to continue to help rescue dogs. She gave us so much love and showed us that a rescue dog can give as much, if not more, love than any other.

Sheba taught us empathy, patience and unconditional love of which we will be eternally grateful.

It was an honor to have had her in our lives.

Michelle & Nick Dryden