Lacey (now Mattie)

Hello from Carlisle –

We picked up the dog, then named Lacey, at the Morgantown exit of the PA turnpike.
She had been fostered in a home with several other Labs and several adults, which made for a fair amount of activity. The foster parents were a bit concerned that Lacey would not be content to be in a house with an older couple and be an “only dog.” She has thrived as an only!

We decided to call her Mattie and within two weeks, we were a bonded “family.” It seems incredible that this dog was ever abandoned. She knows all the common commands, fetches until the thrower gets a tired arm, does not bark, or get up on furniture or counter surf. She is a GEM. She has two orthopedic beds of her own, upstairs and down, and snores away happily whenever she has a chance. She goes for two 3-mile walks a day and has gained about four pounds since being with us – we felt her visible ribs needed some flesh. When she was first with us, her leash behavior was not so great – constant pulling. After experiments with a choke collar and a harness, we have found the perfect solution with the British style slip leash – she no longer pulls except when seeing a squirrel.

Our previous dog died in April of last year, and we thought we couldn’t have another dog. . .Mattie has proven us very wrong. We are happy to reassure anyone who is considering adopting an older dog that it can be a wonderful experience. Mattie is unbelievably affectionate and appreciative and is a delightful addition to our daily life.

We have become promoters of adopting older dogs and for the Brookline rescue group, which we believe, has a great method for checking out potential owners and matching them with available dogs.

Thank you, Brookline, and a special thanks to our adoption coordinator, Danny.
Susan Meehan