Missy, Black Labrador Retriever Female, 10 years old

January 14, 2019

Missy’s health is declining so it was determined that she spend the rest of her days with her loving foster family.

December 2, 2018

black Labrador Retriever laying on a dog bedWell, it’s been a little longer than I had hoped since Missy’s last update, but no news is good news, right?

Missy had a great Thanksgiving,  lounging around the house, with all the smells of the day.  We hosted, and had a dozen or so people over, and Missy kept bouncing from person to person for pets; she just couldn’t get enough attention. Everyone pretty much fell in love with her.
black Labrador Retriever laying on a blanketMissy had her first snowfall with our family, and let’s just say, she shares my liking of snow…. which is No snow is the best snow!  She was not a fan by any means, but really appreciated the nice shoveled area that her foster human brothers made for her.  I think it was more the icy coating than the snow itself that she didn’t like.
Missy also got into see our vet, and passed her vet check with flying colors.  There were no issues that came up, She did prescribe a different medication to help with her rear leg pain.  Our vet also suggested that maybe acupuncture might be an avenue to try at one point, to go the way of a non-medicinal path of treatment.  But all that said, she doesn’t let it slow her down.  On rainy days she and I seem to be about the same; our arthritis kicks in, and we’d both rather just relax.
black labrador retriever standing in grassShe really enjoys her car rides, and no matter how chilly, loves having the back windows down and sticking her snout out.  Her favorite trips are the ones we take to either Lowes or Petsmart, because there are ALWAYS new people to pet her.
Until next time… Wags from Missy!

November 11, 2018

black Labrador Retriever standingThank you Veterans,  and thank you Rescuers.
It’s been two Sunday’s since Missy’s last update.  Missy has become really comfortable and relaxed in our home over the last few weeks.  We continue the walks as our schedule and weather cooperates.  Missy LOVES being outside, whether it’s on a walk, or just to be outside when we are outside doing chores.
Last weekend we put Missy to the test with our Foster Sophomore’s 16th birthday party, with a dozen or so of his closest friends.  It was sensory (and petting) overload,  and Missy loved every minute of the evening.   She has met many people, and quite a few dogs over the last couple weeks, and loves them all equally.
We’ve also found that she has become quite the “velcro-lab” over the last week.  We get up, she gets up.  We go to the kitchen, she goes to the kitchen.  She’s like a black, furry 65lb shadow.
Over the last week,  we’ve also tested Missy, and found that she is completely trustworthy and does not need to be crated while unsupervised.  She still has access to it, but she doesn’t chew anything,  get into trouble, or have any accidents, overnight or while we are away at work or school.  Good girl Missy!  Most times we come home, she is snuggled up either on her bed, or with her pink fuzzy fleece blankie that she needs to rearrange every so often on her own.
That’s all for now!

October 28, 2018

10 year old Black Labrador Retriever
Looking’ good!

It’s been a few days since the last update, and Missy just keeps on being Missy.  Sleep, Play, Walk, Sleep, fall over from belly rubs, sleep some more. This afternoon she got to meet Foster College Freshman, who just can’t get enough of her.  Between the playing and petting, she is tuckered out today.  Foster Sophomore and I took her to the local Lowe’s to pick up a few things, and had her Brookline Fleece Scarf on, and had numerous people stop and meet her and learn a bit about her.

After a brief potty break, we loaded back up and headed down the road to

10 year old Black Labrador Retriever
Pretty in pink

PetSmart to get some new stuff for the puppers.  Missy was able to meet and make friends nearly instantly with an 8 month old boxer pup.  It was almost comical, as the floors seems to be freshly waxed and the poor boxer could not get any traction to get close to Miss Missy.  She met him with a wagging tail, and happy face as they exchanged sniffs. (check off “random dogs” from the to do list).  As we were waiting to check out, a mother and daughter got in line behind us.  The daughter might have been all of 4 or 5 years old, and after asking if it was ok, she began to love on Missy.  Missy was taking it all in.  Puppy kisses, and little girl kisses and hugs, she was in her glory! (check off “small children” as well).

After we got home, Foster brother and Missy went for the daily “long” walk, we try to get in 2 short and 1 long walk each day, weather and schedule depending.   The walk went great, Foster brother was back and forth the whole time, sniffing parts, and even walking side by side for quite a while with zero issue, until he found a smell in the opposite direction.  We all think that the walks are doing everyone well, especially Missy.  She seems to love to get outside and smell the smells, and walk thru the grass on our leisurely cruise around the property.

That’s all for now… more Missy updates to come!

 

 

October 25, 2018

10 year old Black Labrador Retriever
With the resident lab

Missy has figured out how to weasel her way around the gate that blocks up the stairs to get upstairs.  She was just exploring apparently, since there is all sorts of good stuff to be found in 2 teenage boys bedrooms.  She had no issues getting upstairs, and even less coming back down.  We’ve since changed the gate arrangement, as to not have any issues.  Well since we did THAT, she had decided that our new couch is MUCH more comfortable than her memory foam bed in her crate.  Foster mom is not nearly as thrilled with this idea as Missy is.  One quick point to the floor, and she hops back down though, until we leave the room again.  Oh Missy.  Again, her legs don’t stop her from doing stairs, or hopping on or off of furniture.  One thing that we’ve noticed over the last few day is that her hearing is very minimal.  I don’t think that she’s completely deaf, but she definitely has major hearing loss.  All this really does, however, is to reinforce her ability to nap better than anyone in the house!!

10 year old Black Labrador Retriever
My this is comfy…

A day or 2 ago, I mentioned how her tail initially was just loosly hanging down, between her legs originally.  By now, its up, and constantly wagging – a GREAT sign that she is really beginning to become comfortable in our foster home.  We’ve also been working on Missys Foster brother, she wants to be buddies in the worst way… and he is SLOWLY coming around. Their walks are going great;  she has been able to add a bit of distance, and absolutely loves it.  Near the end, she still slows down some, but just keeps going like the Energizer Labrador

October 24, 2018

Settling in:

10 year old Black Labrador Retriever
snug as a bug in a rug

Tonight after work, but before one of our walks, she had a case of the ZOOMIES!  Yes… 10 year old Missy, bad hips and rear legs and all…  was FLYING around the living room.  So of course I encouraged it, getting down and egging her on.  She was having a blast!  THEN she found her plush Lambchop that some of the transport crew picked up for her.  Poor poor lambchop.  She had no idea.  She was flung here.  She was flung there.  Poor poor lambchop.  But Missy was having a blast!  This went on for several minutes.  She’d fling lambshop across the living room and chase after it, and start the process all over again.

It also seems that our walks seem to be a great joy for her.  Luckily for us, we live adjacent to a high school campus, and can skirt around the perimeter for a nice grassy walk.  Our resident Chocolate still isn’t 100% sold on having someone new in his house… but she seems to want his friendship like nothing else.  They will walk side by side, without much of a care… until their noses hit the ground and they find the same delicious smell.

After the walk, she knows when we are getting close to home, and bounds thru the yard, and skips the step, and jumps right up on the front porch… did I mention she has hip and leg issues? Again, aside from her slightly odd gait, she does not let it slow her down when she is determined to do something or go somewhere.

October 23, 2018

The first 24 hours after coming home

10 year old Black Labrador Retriever
Ready to walk!

The entire foster family has been smitten with Missy.  Showering her with attention… back and belly rubs, and just spending time with her.  She will lean into you, almost like she melts into your body, looking for more attention from you.  It’s not hard to find her “spot” and gets her back leg going frantically.

We’ve gone for a few longer walks, and a couple short walks so far, and although she has some muscle loss in her hind legs, it doesn’t stop her at all.  She bounds up the 3 steps into the house without hesitation.  We have her blocked from going upstairs to our sons bedrooms, I don’t know how well she would handle the full flight of carpeted stairs unsupervised yet.

After the rest of the family went to bed, I got down on the floor with her, and she leaned into me as I was rubbing her belly and she fell asleep, literally in my arms.  Oh.  And did I mention she snores? Not a loud chainsaw type snore, but more of an “im sleeping on carpet and not concrete, and have the warm touch of someone that is showing me affection”  type of snore.  A snore of relief, and contentment, as it were.

The more time we spend with this goofy old girl… the more her personality really comes out.  Sure, she’s got the typical lab bumps and lumps…  the hard elbows from having a hard past, but her zest for living life has really been showing.  Just 36 hours ago, when we picked her up, her tail would just hang limply between her legs, almost as if it was just pinned on.  We initially thought maybe her tail hung because of pain from her hips and legs, but the longer she is here, her tail seems to be getting more lift back into it, much like she herself is.

 

October 22, 2018

Missy’s Rescue Ride and first meet and greet

10 year old Black Labrador Retriever
Rescue ride

My foster mentor and I just picked up Missy from the Brookline transport crew about an hour ago.  She has been in various shelters in both the Lancaster and Philadelphia areas from early August, until nearly the end of October, almost 6 weeks of time. She is up to date on all of her vaccines, and is also spayed.  By all accounts, Missy is 10 years old, although she doesn’t always act her age.  Everyone at the shelter in Philly, as well as all that had come into contact with her before she came into our home, all had the same thing to say…. Missy is just a sweet, sweet girl.  She seems to thrive on attention and affection, but also enjoys her own downtime as well.

After we met with the last leg of the transport crew, we started the 90 minute trek home. The entire ride home, Missy has just been chilling in the back seat, taking in the ride, without a peep out of her.  She would occasionally pop up, peek out the window to check out the view, then settle back down.  On the way to our foster house, we stopped at the local pet store, to get a much needed bath to wash off all of the kennel dust.  Missy took it all in, and loved the hands on attention she was getting.  And she was transformed into a shiny, soft, and fluffy black ball of mush.

Once we got to our foster house, we met Foster mom, Foster Sophomore, and our Foster Chocolate lab brother.  We did a lot of walking, and sniffing, and walking and sniffing.  Luckily for Missy, we have a large area right across the street to be able to walk laps around, and smell all the good smells of suburbia. Our resident lab isn’t quite sure what to think, so everyone decided that some apart time, for his behalf, would be best.  Missy however wants nothing more than to meet her foster brother, as she stands behind her side of the double gate, looking at him, and whimpering ever so slightly.

 

Adopt Your New Best Friend! 

PLEASE NOTE: While this Lab may not be available for adoption by the time you complete the adoption process, other great Labs are always finding their way into our Rescue.

If you are interested in adopting this Lab or any other Lab from our Rescue, please visit our Web site, www.brooklinelabrescue.org, for more information on our adoption process. If you need additional information about the adoption process or whether you are in our coverage area, please send an e-mail to our Rescue at info@brooklinelabrescue.org

Even if you are not ready to adopt, you can still help us help our Labs!

Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue is a 501(c)3 non-profit volunteer organization funded entirely by donations. Donations are always needed to help with veterinary costs, transportation, and supplies for our dogs. For information on donating to BLRR please click here. https://brooklinelabrescue.org/get-involved/donate/ Donations are accepted via PayPal or you can mail a check to: Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue, P.O. Box 638, Warrington, PA 18976-0638