Bear 08-104

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Profile

Sponsored by:

Susannah Charleson
Cheerie Smith
Dennis and Joanne

 

This handsome fella is Bear 08-104, a 7-year-old intact male with a long, tall body, massive head and short coat. Only a DNA test would tell for sure, but to me he looks like a cross between a Golden Retriever and Swiss Mountain Dog or St. Bernard.

Bear was rescued from a neglectful situation and cared for by a kindly veterinarian in Iowa for several weeks before coming into RAGOM and moving to the Twin Cities. As you can see from the photos, Bear was not in great shape when he was first rescued, but he has filled out considerably and now weighs 90 pounds.

His front teeth are worn down to the gum from years of trying to escape something--a kennel, fence or chain. Fortunately, his back teeth are still in very good shape. He's also got a patch of bare skin on the backs of his ears which, Dr. K. told me, is typical of farm dogs. They're often pestered by black flies to the point of scratching themselves raw, leaving scarred skin as a testimony to their discomfort.

Bear has settled in nicely here at his temporary foster home in the few days that we've had him. He respects baby gates, leaves the cats alone and is mostly housebroken. His few lapses have been my fault for letting him have access to more of the house than he's ready for. His introduction to my resident dog, a four-year-old male, was a little shaky, but once Bear understood that Chaz did not want to be dominated by the likes of him, he immediately settled into a subordinate role. They have been flawless together ever since. Bear shows no resource guarding with Chaz or any aggression to strange dogs we meet on our walks.

Bear is very well-mannered in the house. He's a super mellow fellow, rarely barks and is content just to snooze at my feet. Although he has been invited to sleep on the bed with me and Chaz, he prefers the dog bed on the floor. He's smart and a quick learner. In just a couple of days he's learned to sit and stay while I place his food dish and Chaz's on their respective sides of the kitchen.

On a leash, Bear is like walking a bull moose, so I have him on an Easy Walker harness. He would probably do even better on a Gentle Leader (he'll need an Extra Large for that big noggin of his).

Whether due to genetics or his sad background, Bear does not know what toys are for. He ignores thrown balls and has no interest in stuffed animals or squeaky toys. His favorite activity is going for walks and marking every five feet. It's a mixed blessing--we don't make very good time, but I know if I ever accidentally dropped the leash, I could catch him loitering at the next tree, bush or low-hanging branch.

Unfortunately, Bear has Stage 4 heartworm disease, which will require a lengthy treatment protocol. He cannot be neutered or adopted until he is free of heartworm. Once he's ready to go, however, he will make some lucky family or single person a wonderful companion. He'd be great as a first dog for someone without much experience--he's really that easy.

Bear will be moving to his permanent foster home in a couple of days. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he goes through the difficult and sometimes risky treatment for heartworm disease. 

At a Glance #08-104

Mixed Breed Born: February 2001
Male 60 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

Sponsored by:

Susannah Charleson
Cheerie Smith
Dennis and Joanne

 

This handsome fella is Bear 08-104, a 7-year-old intact male with a long, tall body, massive head and short coat. Only a DNA test would tell for sure, but to me he looks like a cross between a Golden Retriever and Swiss Mountain Dog or St. Bernard.

Bear was rescued from a neglectful situation and cared for by a kindly veterinarian in Iowa for several weeks before coming into RAGOM and moving to the Twin Cities. As you can see from the photos, Bear was not in great shape when he was first rescued, but he has filled out considerably and now weighs 90 pounds.

His front teeth are worn down to the gum from years of trying to escape something--a kennel, fence or chain. Fortunately, his back teeth are still in very good shape. He's also got a patch of bare skin on the backs of his ears which, Dr. K. told me, is typical of farm dogs. They're often pestered by black flies to the point of scratching themselves raw, leaving scarred skin as a testimony to their discomfort.

Bear has settled in nicely here at his temporary foster home in the few days that we've had him. He respects baby gates, leaves the cats alone and is mostly housebroken. His few lapses have been my fault for letting him have access to more of the house than he's ready for. His introduction to my resident dog, a four-year-old male, was a little shaky, but once Bear understood that Chaz did not want to be dominated by the likes of him, he immediately settled into a subordinate role. They have been flawless together ever since. Bear shows no resource guarding with Chaz or any aggression to strange dogs we meet on our walks.

Bear is very well-mannered in the house. He's a super mellow fellow, rarely barks and is content just to snooze at my feet. Although he has been invited to sleep on the bed with me and Chaz, he prefers the dog bed on the floor. He's smart and a quick learner. In just a couple of days he's learned to sit and stay while I place his food dish and Chaz's on their respective sides of the kitchen.

On a leash, Bear is like walking a bull moose, so I have him on an Easy Walker harness. He would probably do even better on a Gentle Leader (he'll need an Extra Large for that big noggin of his).

Whether due to genetics or his sad background, Bear does not know what toys are for. He ignores thrown balls and has no interest in stuffed animals or squeaky toys. His favorite activity is going for walks and marking every five feet. It's a mixed blessing--we don't make very good time, but I know if I ever accidentally dropped the leash, I could catch him loitering at the next tree, bush or low-hanging branch.

Unfortunately, Bear has Stage 4 heartworm disease, which will require a lengthy treatment protocol. He cannot be neutered or adopted until he is free of heartworm. Once he's ready to go, however, he will make some lucky family or single person a wonderful companion. He'd be great as a first dog for someone without much experience--he's really that easy.

Bear will be moving to his permanent foster home in a couple of days. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he goes through the difficult and sometimes risky treatment for heartworm disease. 

Updates

Monday, November 17, 2014

Hello from Bear and his forever grateful family.  It has been 3 ½ years since our last update. In these 3 ½ years, Bear has continued to enjoy life … trying to be as active as possible.  He’s still getting out to enjoy his walks, but at a reduced schedule and slightly slower pace.  Based on the estimate RAGOM gave of his age when we adopted him, we’re guessing Bear is now around 14.5 years old. 

September 2010 ... Bear welcomed a sister, Chips, into the family. A 12-year-old German Shepherd-Sheltie mix ... a great addition to the family; and, Bear was a perfect brother. So, we now had our two senior family members. If that weren’t enough, Bear had to share his space with yet another sibling ... Kiro (Bear’s 11- year-old Akita cousin) joined our family in March 2012. Again, Bear was a perfect brother. So, here we were ... a family of five.

We continued our early morning and after work walks with all three dogs.  We continued our camping outings in our small camper.  Though a little cramped … we made it work.  We also made it up to Lake Vermillion with all three dogs.  The resort shuttled all of us, by boat, over to our own little private island.  It was a wonderful trip.
August 2012 ... Chips’ health began to fail. Sadly, we all said goodbye to our little angel in September. The boys seemed to mourn the loss of their sister, but we knew it was so very important to continue life as usual, continue their routine, and love the boys up as much and as often as possible.

Bear and Kiro continued to enjoy many outings with us ... trips to Fitger’s and several more camping trips. This year, Kiro’s health deteriorated; and, sadly, Bear had to say goodbye to his brother in April 2014.

October 26th, we welcomed Toby, an 11.5 year-old Australian Shepherd into the family. Again, Bear is a wonderful brother. Still a slight issue with resource guarding after all these years ... Bear has had some issue sharing his begging space with his new brother. Little does Bear realize ... they both will get equal shares from our plates. :)

Today, Bear is increasingly showing signs of, what seems to be, Degenerative Myelopathy … weakness, knuckling, falling, and, unsteady. He has some good days, though. Our focus, at this point, is Bear’s quality of life and to help make his days comfortable.  He and Toby lie around quite a lot and seem to find comfort being near each other.

Bear’s fosters came to see him last weekend and loved him up. He seemed to remember his angels and enjoyed his time with them.  It warms my heart to know how this wonderful boy still holds a very special place in their hearts … and the hearts of so many.  Greg and Tanya have given so much to these dogs and the rescue community; and, they continue to do so much!  Greg and Tanya are wonderfully, amazing human beings!

What’s next for Bear???  We’ll see if physical therapy or some other form of therapy will help make Bear’s remaining time as comfortable as possible.  One simple request … if you pray … please say a prayer for Bear.  If you don’t pray … please send positive energy Bear’s way.  Thank you all!

 

~ Shelly and Amy

Thursday, May 19, 2011

We were so happy to have Bear, our former foster, come visit us last night. Our golden, Lucy, was even more excited.  You should have seen how flirty and giddy she got when he walked thru the gate to our back yard.  I wish I would have gotten it on video....

Bear is doing great!  He looks spectacular and very healthy.  We are not 100% sure of his age because of his background, but we guess around 10.  However, he still gets around and up/down stairs without a problem.

He still has a big ol' head and the dislocated toe and inverted nipple, and we still love him just as much as ever.  His family takes him on two walks a day and he has a relatively new adopted pup in the house that keeps him on his toes.

Bear came into our house last night and it was like he never left.  He settled in and let me scratch his tummy and give him lots of sweet talk.  He really, really is a gem.  

Bear strolled around the back yard and played with Lucy, and our neighbor's black lab puppy (also named Bear - they say they named him after our Bear) for about an hour, then he and I went for a walk around the neighborhood.  Bear is a big boy and very handsome and gets lots of compliments.

We are so happy that he found the family he is with now.  They spoil him and treat him like a king and he deserves it after his rough start and his long fight with HW. 

Bear will always have a very special place in my heart and he is always welcome to come visit us.  I've attached a photo of Lucy with Bear.  She's gotten more gray in the face, but he hasn't aged a bit.... the other photos are of him standing in his majestic way....

We love you Bear!

Friday, March 6, 2009

From Bear's forever family... 

June 14th was a very special day for us … we welcomed our baby boy Bear into our family. We knew he would be a wonderful addition to our family, but we never imagined how wonderful. This big boy has added so much to our lives. He gets us out at 4:00 am every morning for his walk and again when we get home. While the early morning schedule might seem insane to some … it really is a fantastic way to begin the day (regardless of temperature or our level of exhaustion at the time). It is a pure, refreshing, and mindless hour we get to spend with our boy. Bear doesn’t demand this schedule from us … we just know he truly enjoys his walks … plus, he spends the rest of the day alone, lying around. We want his day to start on a good note as well.

Since Bear joined us, he has been camping, canoeing (one time so far), snowshoeing, picking apples at the apple orchard, and hiking … to name a few of the things he truly enjoys. The canoeing was a bit unnerving for Bear; however, after a few minutes … he seemed to enjoy the new adventure.

 

   

The muscles in Bear’s hindquarters have developed quite nicely; and, the shaved areas (from the HW treatments) have grown in. Looking at Bear, he looks very healthy and it is difficult to imagine he was ever as sickly as he was.

Bear saunters around slowly on his walks … taking in as many smells as he can … much like a senior would; however, he does have a lot of giddy up in his step when he wants to. This is when the true puppy in Bear comes out. RAGOM has estimated his chronological age at 8 years; however, I often find it difficult to find an 8-year-old dog in that body … perhaps he’s discovered the fountain of youth to make up for lost puppy time.

We recently went to Philly for a long weekend and had some friends watch Bear for a few days. Bear loved snuggling up to their son during story time. In the end, our friends didn’t want to give him back. This seems to be the consensus of many who meet this big, loveable boy. He steals the hearts of many. He definitely has stolen our hearts!

 

As far as we know ... Bear is healthy and shows no signs of ever having heartworm. Neutering Bear last October (in addition to the prayers and support of many) helped make Bear the healthy boy he is today. Yay!

We're watching Bear's cousin (an Akita named Kiro) in April. This past weekend, we tested the two big boys to see how they would do with full run of the house while we were at work on Monday. They passed the test with flying colors (good news for us for the dog-sitting week in April). When it was time to say goodbye, Kiro gave Bear a kiss on his snout. Bear seemed sad Monday evening … and, I’m told Kiro also seemed sad. Yet, another heart stolen.

 

We’ve spent a few afternoons with Bear at the Minneapolis airport dog park. He loves this place and gets along extremely well with all the other random dogs. During this time, Bear and Kiro … and, Kiro’s brother Odin (a Newfoundland) have an opportunity to romp around freely.

While it seems an afternoon at the dog park is completely about the dogs … it serves a therapeutic purpose for us humans as well … we LOVE it!

The RAGOM world can be a small world. While at the dog park, Bear has seen Devon (fostered Bear for a week) and her dog Chaz. It’s so fun to run into people who know of and/or have met Bear. And, we love that people are able to see how healthy and happy Bear is.

We thank everyone for asking about Bear and wishing him well ... and, we love him and are thankful for him. We promise to give him the best life possible. Each night, we tell him nobody is going to hurt him ever again.

RAGOM, Fosters & Sponsors … thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

Amy & Shelly

Thursday, October 23, 2008

I believe this to be the final update on Bubba. His adventures as a foster are behind him now and he is now into his forever home adventures. He even went canoeing last weekend, I'm told....

Attached are some photos of him in his forever home with his family. All the photos of him with his tongue sticking out are of him after his neuter. I guess he had his tongue out like that all day and all night. He's so cute.

Bubba was rescued as just a bag of bones with severe heartworm. With RAGOM's help and care, and the help of his sponsors, he was able to fight the HW off and regain the health every dog should have. He is now a dignified gentleman that has captured the hearts of many.

Thank you one final time for following his story and keeping him in your thoughts and prayers thru the tough times. I can assure you that every minute you spend with Bear is a minute that he shows so much appreciation and gratitude for being rescued and now living a fantastic life.

He will always occupy a very large part of my heart and I know very much that....No one will ever hurt Bear again. I promised this to him every night he was with us and I know it is true.

He is loved. He is rescued. He is an angel.

 
Can we go for a walk?  C'mon, please?

  
   
   

 
Forever Family

Monday, October 20, 2008

Here we are, about 9 months after Bear was rescued....and he is finally now in his forever home. As of yesteday morning, Bear has been officially adopted!!!!

We went to visit him yesterday at his new home and to make the adoption official. Bear was neutered last week and all went well. The decision was made to neuter him earlier than December because his prostate was causing the blood in his urine. Neutering him was to help with this. All went well and he is doing great. In fact, his family said he is acting more puppyish now and even more silly than before.

It has been a long road for Bear. He has received tremendous support and prayers from all his fans and sponsors. He came into our home and immediately stole our hearts and still has them. Bear is the poster child for dog rescue and just how joyous it can turn out. I wish Animal Planet would do a show on Rescue organizations.

Now Bear can continue living the good life with his loving family and do what he does best....Give love back.

It was great to see Bear again yesterday, but it is apparent and awesome to see that he has... truly found his forever home.

Thank you to the end of days RAGOM for taking this boy in and giving him a chance at living the great life. I know he was not an inexpensive rescue, but trust me, it was worth every penny if you could see him now. And thank you again to his sponsors. Your help was very important.

IT was pretty apparent at the RAGOM picnic that Bear has alot of fans. HE thanks you all for his support, thoughts and prayers.

I've attached a couple photos we took yesterday. One is of him chilling out under the dining table and the other is of my wife and me with Bear. His forever family will send me some addtional photos I will post soon.

Thank you for following Bear's adventures and his recovery.

He says "Woof!"

Us with Bear.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Well, Bear's journey continues.....Maybe he should write a tell-all book about his life when he has time...

Bear's family that is temp fostering until he is neutered (then they're going to adopt him) cam back from vacation tonight and came to pick him up. It was awesome to see how excited he was to see them and he cozied right up to them with his tail wagging. He is definitely in good hands with them and they adore him....

Over the past two weeks that Bear was with us, we had him to the vet twice because of blood in his urine again. It is happening about once a week and it is just several drops to many drops. Another ultrasound was done on his kidneys and bladder and all appears to be ok. His blood test results are good and his levels indicate that he is not entering kidney failure or kidney disease. The vet did some indepth research and she believes Bear's prostate is causing the problem and the best thing to do is to neuter him. She said it's not that uncommon for an unneutered dog of his age to have prostate problems that result in blood in the urine. The sticky part is it was not our intentions to have him neutered until December because he is still flushing out his HW and there is a risk of putting him under for the neuter. For this reason, his vet would like to refer him to the U of M to be neutered and have it done now. They have better resources and ability there and she feels much more comfortable having them do his neuter. So that will hopefully get scheduled this week. We'll keep everyone informed on how it goes.

Having Bear here for the last two weeks has been so awesome. He is such a gem and it is simply not possible to not fall in love with him.

For those of you who have been following all his stories, perhaps you can come and meet him at the RAGOM picnic this coming Saturday. His family will be bringing him and he wants to meet you all. If he is recovering from his neuter he probably won't be able to make it however.... Again, we'll keep you posted.

Thanks for reading more about and keeping him in your thoughts for his upcoming surgery...

I've attached some new photos. Two are of him and our sweet Lucy lounging and the other is of me giving Bubba a big hug before he left tonight....

   

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Bear's stay with us continues to be awesome. He helped me this past weekend doing some landscaping. He was the foreman while I put some new mulch in around the deck. Lucy also helped a little bit by chewing on her squeaky toy....

Lucy loves to play fetch with her Kong balls. Bear has been following her lead and has starting fetching when we throw him one. It's so cute the way he runs after the ball....He sorta bounces like a fawn on his fron legs as he runs to the ball. Then as he gets to it, he kinda pounces on the ball and always misjudges it and jumps just a bit too far, so he then has to reach underneath his body with his head as he goes by. A few times, he's reached back and almost went into a somersault roll. He then brings it back and sometimes drops it and sometimes doesn't. Either way, it's priceless for me to see this happening and to see him having so much fun with life.

Bear continues to do well with free roam with Lucy while we're at work and he sleeps very well on his great big dog bed in our bedroom. He's also turned out to be a good guard dog and as you may guess, he's got a very deep, loud bark....

Bear will go back to his family's home on Sunday night. We'll love him now, until then and after he leaves again, and we're gonna have a ton of fun with him until then...

Thank you again to his gracious sponsors. He sends you hugs and kisses.

Thank you for reading up on Bear again. It's been quite an adventure thus far, as I'm sure you'll agree.

 
Drinking some water

 
One good lookin' pup

 
Bear and Lucy

 
Statuesque

 
Extreme close-up

 
Another happy pic

 
Bear's the foreman

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Bubba's been here just a few days now and I'm not sure we're gonna let him leave when his family gets back.... We love this boy and he is sooooo great. I just can't say it enough....

When his family dropped him off, they said he had broken out of his kennel a week before and had been spending his days with free roam. We were a bit nervous about this because he always spent the days in his kennel when we were fostering him. Well, today was his first day at home with an extended time with free roam here. It was for 4 hours before I got home for lunch to let Bear and Lucy out. We had done some shorter trips away over the weekend and just as he did then, he did great today. No problems at all.

I got some fun photos of him tonight. He's still a bit bashful around a camera, but he's kinda becoming quite the ham.

Most dogs that I've ever seen have brown eyes. Occasionally you see a dog with blue eyes or something else. Bear's are obviously brown, but in the right light, they have a hint of red in them. His eyes really are the window to his kind, gentle soul. I hope someday you all get to meet Bear and look into his eyes and into his soul...

Hopefully Bear can make it to the RAGOM picnic on 9/20. By then he will be back with his family, but hopefully they can bring him. If not, maybe we will so you can all see how wonderful Bubba is and just how much it means to him to be a RAGOM pup and how it was sooooo worth it to rescue him and get him back to GReat health.

Thank you for reading up on Bear. He says Woof!

 

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Bear's back! He's come to live with us for two weeks while his adoptive family is on vacation. We haven't had a foster for the last 3 weeks, because we wanted to give our resident Lucy a little break before Bear came here. We called it Lucy-Palooza. It was 3 weeks of nothing but attention for her.

Now Bear is here and everyone is happy. It took about an hour for Bubba to get comfortable and fully realize where he was. Now it's like he never left. It's really neat to walk into a room and see his familiar sweet, brown eyes looking up at you and then his smile. Bear's temp foster-to-adopt family is really lucky to have this guy. And he is very lucky to have them. They take great, loving care of him....

Bear is still in the waiting mode. He is on HW preventative for a few more months before he will be tested again for HW to see if he is ready for neutering.

I saw his total vet bill so far and all I can say is, Wow! Thank you so much again to his sponsors! And thank you so much again to RAGOM for taking this guy in and making him happy and healthy again. I told my wife last weekend that we need to win the lottery so we can build a RAGOM shelter and donate a million or two to RAGOM to continue helping kind angels like Bear. He and all the other RAGOM pups are just that. Angels.

Thank you for reading up on Bear and following his adventures. More updates and pics to come in the next couple weeks and beyond....


Bear's back!
Bear and Buca

A wink and a smile
Another smile

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Results of Bear's test came back. The X-rays showed no signs of tumors or any cancer or anything else that appeared abnormal or wrong. That's great news! They also tested some blood drawn straight from his bladder. Those results came back yesterday. They could find no signs of early kidney failure or kidney disease! Yay! All those prayers and positive thoughts helped again. The X-rays did show some signs of pelvic arthritis, but with a dog his size, it's not that abnormal...

The vet feels that Bear has permanent damage to his kidneys from the severity of his HW. Going forward he will be on a prescription dog food specifically for dogs with kidney ailments.

So to summarize, he is back to his normal routine and the vet could find no major red flags. Awesome!

Bear came to visit us this afternoon. It was a playdate/reunion with us and Lucy and he was going to meet our current foster Luke 08-379 for the first time. Things went great. Bear didn't have much interest in playing with Lucy, but he sure did take a liking to Luke. So much so that Luke had to set Bear straight more than once. It was nice to see Luke standing up against Bear and teaching him some manners. Especially since Luke is 42# and Bear is 90#. Here are some new photos of Bear and he's next to Luke in all of them. What a size difference! Lucy just wanted to play fetch the whole time....

Thank you for all your thoughts for Bear. He is still going strong.

   
   
   

Friday, July 25, 2008

Bear continues to do spectacular in his 'Temp Foster to Adopt' home. They are convinced he is the perfect dog.

He has come to like his crate now and does not hesitate to go into it when asked. He has lost some weight, but that is due to the fact that he can actually exercise now and he is getting plenty of it with two long walks each day. His fosters have begun feeding him more food to help him maintain his 90-95# ideal weight.

They did contact me last week because he had blood in his urine again. He was taken in and determined to have a bladder infection. He has been on antibiotics for a week and things have cleared up nicely. He'll go back next week for a check up.

The really cool news is that Bear will be coming back to stay with us and Lucy for a couple weeks in September. His current fosters will be on vacation and asked us to watch him. We didn't even have to think about it. We can't wait to have him with us again.... Lucy will be really excited to have her playmate/boyfriend back for a short fling...

In his new home, one of their cars is smaller so they put the backseat all the way down so he can stretch out more. He has come to like sleeping in the trunk like it's a cave.... See the new photo.

Oh my gosh Bear is so sweet.

Thank you again to his sponsors. His dreams are truly being realized and it could not have happened without your help.

And thank you for reading up on his adventures....

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

I am told there are a number of fans of Bear who are wondering how he's doing in his new foster home. I have been in frequent contact with them and he is doing outstanding! Bear's life now consists of two long walks a day to get some good exercise and start building the muscle mass he needs. He has a fenced in back yard to trot around in and take in the scents and the scenery. His new home absolutely loves him to pieces and he is perfect for them.

They took him camping up north a couple weekends ago and he had his own camping tent/kennel and bed. I'm told he did great playing with their friends' dog (seen in the pictures with Bear).

Everywhere he goes, he gets lots of love and attention and then still has time in his busy schedule to fit in a nap or two...

He also has this huge park across the street from his new home where there are always squirrels and other activities going on. Bear is really living the Golden life now....

Thank you to his new temp fosters for giving him such a great life. He truly deserves to be happy and continue being happy. Most and best of all...he is loved tremendously.


Life is good!
I'm so happy :)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Bear making eyes at Reilly

Bear & Reilly playing....
and playing some more....

From Bear's new family/temp fosters:

Bear IS doing great. If he could attach the three of us together somehow ... I think he would. He seems happiest and most content when the three of us are in a room together. Wait ... he is also VERY happy on walks marking all plants, hydrants, trees, posts, garbage bins, grassy surfaces ... anything. He's really a good walker, but when he needs to get to a scent (whether new or familiar) he pulls us in that direction. Rather than pull him away from EVERY opportunity ... we let him do his business (at least until he really has no "need" to do that ... following his neutering, of course). He generally responds very well when we call his name. We're trying to determine the best word or sound to get him to have a loose leash and walk beside us. I've used, "Bear! Heel!" ... that works some. Amy has also been using that, but also tries a sound Reilly's owner uses with her ... "Tsst!" ... Bear responds some to that as well. We just need to come up with a consistent signal rather than "Wait" since we want that for kennel waits, exit/entry waits, breakfast/dinner waits. We're trying. We haven't yet contacted the trainer, but plan to do so. I'm sure she'll have some good suggestions.

Bear attended the Pride event with us Saturday morning while we volunteered at the Outfront Minnesota tent. He was a perfect gentleman ... everyone loved him. Before arriving at the Outfront tent, a woman approached us and said, "Is that Bear???" She was so excited to see him. She was from RAGOM. After volunteering, Amy, Bear and I attended my nephew's grad party. The party was mainly outside, which allowed him to be near us while we ate and played games. He seemed very calm by all the attention he received from adults and children. It's good to see a dog so good around everyone. He seems so happy and it really shows in his expressions. We adore him!

That seemed like a very full day and Bear seemed quite exhausted. We were invited to Amy's sister's house ... so, we kenneled Bear for the 2 ½ - 3 hours while we were away. When we returned, Bear greeted us at the door. He managed to escape his kennel (bent the strong metal floor of the kennel, which allowed the door to swing open). We think the kennel made him anxious and captive ... and, I'm sure he was a bit nervous that we weren't with him. Although he was now out of his kennel with free roam of the house ... he behaved perfectly. There were treats and other edibles on the counter ... he left them alone. No accidents. Nothing chewed. He was perfect, but a bit panicked by the time we arrived home. He is every bit a people dog.

I took yesterday off to test Bear in a large travel crate while I ran errands. Bear kenneled without resistence. He laid down immediately and didn't seem anxious at all when I closed the door of the crate. After 2 ½ - 3 hours, I returned home. No barking or movement noises. I went into his bedroom (yes, he has his own bedroom), Bear was laying down and didn't seem anxious. I told him to wait while I opened the door and said "okay" and he exited with his tail wagging and greeted me with a happy smile. I think he felt safer in the den-like environment rather than the cage-like environment. We'll see how he does today. We think, though, he will be a perfect gentleman if we give him a gated-off roam of a particular part of our house ... that will be our next option (if a "next" option is necessary).

We really think, though, he trusts us and is adjusting well.

Since Bear became part of our family, he has been on walks every morning around 4:30 and after work (45-60 minutes each). He's met many of our family members and our friends ... everyone loves him and thinks he's the perfect dog. We tend to agree. He's been camping at Interstate State Park (Wisconsin side). He loved that. He had a playmate (Reilly) who we used to babysit quite a bit. Bear and Reilly got along well. I'm amazed with Bear's sunny disposition (all the time). He seems to do well with all other dogs ... regardless of gender. Bear did really well in the tent. We purchased a soft lightweight camping bed for him ... after entering the tent ... he went right to his bed and stayed there all night until we were ready to start the day. All the noises around the tent ... he remained calm and stayed put. Such a good boy! We hiked with him, which he did really well. He responded well to our requests to walk beside us (loosely) while attempting to traverse some of the steep, rocky trails. We also treated ourselves and Bear to a DQ treat (while camping) ... yes, there was a DQ within a stone's throw of our camp site. Now that's roughing it!

Bear has also had the pleasure of hanging out with Amy's sister during the day. Amy's sister comes over to sit on the deck and work from that location ... Bear hangs out on the deck with her. While it isn't every day, they do get to see each other quite a bit; and, they do enjoy each other's company. Bear has such a calming presence.


Family photo
Hiking photo

Sleep deprived walkin'
Camping - DQ - what's not to like??

Friday, June 13, 2008

It's Friday night and tomorrow morning Bear begins the next step in his journey. The family wanting to adopt Bear permanently will be bringing him home and temp fostering him until he can be checked again in 6 months for his HW. If all is well at that point, he will be neutered and permanently adopted by them.

So this means we have one more night with him in our home. We will love every minute of it...

I took him to work today so I could spend even more time with him. He was super and settled in nicely on his bed in my office. This guy is so sweet and has such a gentle soul.

Lucy and my wife are up north this weekend so tonight it'll be just Bear and me for a guys' night. We're just gonna hang out and relax.

There are some new photos of Bear (and Lucy). They pretty much speak for themselves....

Thank you for following Bear's adventures and his road to recovery. I will probably post one last update tomorrow.

Bear is going to some very loving hands... I have no doubt he will continue to prosper...


This one says it all!
Lucy and Bear lounging

Bear deep in thought
Happy boy

Two happy pups

 

 

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Well we had a big day yesterday at our house. Our beloved Lucy had her 3rd birthday party. Bear, Lucy and all three kitties (reluctantly) put their party hats on and seemed to have a jolly time. I had a soccer game so I missed the party, but my wife took lots of photos. There are too many to post, so I have a link to them all here.  

There are quite a few pics of Mr. Bear and he is sooooo silly. Do you remember the giggly hyenas from the Lion King movie? Bear looks like them in some of the pics because he's smiling and looks like he's laughing..

Everything else is going great with Bear. He has a vet appointment on 6/9 to get a shot and to discuss his prognosis on what's next for him..

Thank you for following up on him.

 

 

Thursday, May 29, 2008

I took an awesome pic of Bear and his girlfriend at lunch today. They love playing with each other and wrestling around until I have to break it up. He really likes Lucy and seems to learn many things from her. He often follows her around in the back yard and mimics many things she does, like nibbling on grass or sniffing the same branch on a tree. They make a great couple. He loves having her around and I know she loves his being around. It will be sweet when they can play without us having to stop it... They'll just tire each other out and sleep like logs all night long. As you may know, a tired dog is a happy dog...

Bear's spirit shines more each day. He was playing with and mouthing squeaky toys inside with Lucy this evening while it rained tonight. And he was very good about giving me the toys and sharing them with Lucy. He is so sweet.

Bear was reading about his fellow foster Noah 08-198. Maybe you too read about him. Bear had many fans and well wishers and prayers sent his way when he first came to live with us and started his HW treatment. For this he is forever grateful to everyone and will never forget it. He promises this. Bear would like for everyone to shift their thoughts, prayers and possible financial sponsorship to sweet little Noah. He is such a young sweet pup that has so much to live for and has so much potential. Please keep him in your thoughts.

Many more photos to come of Bear and his sassy girlfriend Lucy.

Thank you for following Bear's story.


Happy Bear and his sassy girlfriend Lucy 

 

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

I took this pic of Bear at lunch time today. He is Mr. Bear - and he is living life to the fullest right now. How happy is he?.......Very!!

A new family came to meet Bear tonight. Things went really well. Some details need to be worked out, but keep your paws crossed for Bear. Things are continuing to look up for him...

Bear wants to wish the best and send all his prayers for Cassie 07-130 and her foster parents. He never got to meet her, but from what he read of her, she seemed like a wonderful pup and will be missed dearly. He also wants to take a moment to mention Ginger 08-249 and wish her the best. One day at a time and one sniff at a time is what Bear would tell her if he could meet her. She sounds like the sweetest of girls and has a very strong soul. He asks that you pray for her comfort and happiness.

Thank you for reading up on Bear.


Majestic Mr. Bear

 

Friday, May 23, 2008

We are done house sitting for my parents and are back in our home. I took some photos of Bear last night when we got back. He is smilling in all of them. He likes it here.

Bear continues to beat the HW that brought him down. This morning especially, he is really happy and wants to play, but we can't let him. Soon though, he can....

Bear will get one more shot on June 9th. It is a different shot, and the good news is that as of June 9th he'll be able to resume normal activity and run and play with Lucy. Yay!

The family interested in adopting Bear is bringing their adopted RAGOM pup, Louie, down this afternoon so Bear and Louie can meet. I think this will be the final test for him. This wonderful family has been to visit Bear several times in the last few weeks just to get to know him and visit.

One funny story about Bear: When we feed him, we make him sit first, then tell him to wait. He can't eat until we tell him 'ok'. We usually make him wait for just a few seconds. He always ends up drooling while waiting and the other night he had this huge drool bubble on the side of his mouth. Along with the drool lines from his mouth to the floor, it was a comical site.

Bear is such a good pup. We love our big Bubba...Thank you again to his sponsors for helping save his life.

Thank you for reading up on Bear and keeping him in your thoughts during the difficult days...

   

 

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Bear wants to wish a Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there. What a beautiful day to celebrate it outside.

Bear is still doing awesome with his HW. He continues to show no side effects, or any effects for that matter, from the shots. He only has to continue to be calm for another month and then he'll get one more shot, but he'll be able to run and play then.

I walked into the house last week and found the scene of the crime. Bear had seemingly had some fun with one of the throw pillows on the couch. I never imagined there were so many feathers in one of those pillows. I got a photo of the crime scene and of the guilty party....notice the feathers stuck to his nose and lips....

Bear is such a wonderful dog to have around. We really love this guy. He still has a family interested in him and we plan on having him meet their resident pup soon. He was also adopted from RAGOM. What a great family!!

He was bashful out in the sun this afternoon, but I did get one good photo of him sitting and smiling. Bear is a happy boy.

Without RAGOM and his sponsors, who knows what may have become of our big goof. Regardless, he is now living the Golden life and loving it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again....I believe these rescued dogs are angels brought into our lives to save us and show our appreciation for the little things in life, like a loving home and a good meal and a dry, warm place to stay. They are safe and loved and they return it tenfold....

Thank you again to his sponsors for helping with his costs. He still has a ways to go and he's not completely out of the woods, but each day that passes is another day in the right direction.

Thank you for reading up on Bear and Happy Mother's Day!


The scene of the crime....
The guilty party....

Being camera shy again
Bear in the sun

Bubba napping with his girlfriend

 

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Just sending in a couple pics of Mr. Bear from last month... please read the latest update above....


A happy Bear
Big black nose

 

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

My wife took Lucy for a walk this evening. Even though I was still home, Bear was a bit anxious. I'm sure he wanted to join his girlfriend for a walk, but we can't allow that right now. After a while he settled down and relaxed a bit. This is the second time he's acted this way when Lucy was taken for a walk. For this reason, I think Bear would do best in a forever home with another dog to keep him company.

Bear mimics and learns a lot of things from Lucy. He sees her chew on squeaky toys and he is now showing interest in chewing them. He still doesn't chew them hard enough to make them squeak, but he will eventually. Right now he just mouths them and pushes them around the floor.

Bear has not had any accidents in our home. We took him to my parents' home on Sunday and he had done great there on his two previous visits. We didn't know my brother's male dog (2 year old boxer) was going to be there and when Bear saw him (Vaughn), Bear marked on a couple spots. It surprised us, but we also chalked it up to him being in an unfamiliar place, not being neutered and meeting Vaughn for the first time. We will keep an eye on this. I think it is something that would pass with time and proper introductions. Bear met Vaughn face to face and they did their sniffing and were very cordial.

Bear ocasionally shows some signs of very minor resource guarding. Sometimes when he has a toy or a rawhide and Lucy gets really close (she's a thief) he will growl at her. She will acknowledge her breaking of the 'dog code' and back off. He has also lightly growled at me if he has a rawhide and my hand gets within a few inches of it. We have some good experience with a former foster that had a severe case of resource guarding and we are convinced Bear's is very minor. However, it still needs to be noted. I feel its root cause is due to his past mistrust of humans and having to protect and cherish any meal he got. Just look at the photo of him on the chain, and you'll agree. We are working with him on this and we know he will learn to trust humans again.

With all that being said, Bear is still the sweetest and kindest dog I've ever known. There is no perfect dog out there. However, if you are looking for a big, loveable, cuddly dog....With a huge appreciation for life and rescue...With one broken canine tooth and all his lower front teeth worn down to nothing (from chewing on the chain)....With big, beautiful brown eyes that melt hearts like the sun is warm....With a heart as Golden as his coat...With one dislocated toe and one inverted nipple (yes he has one of each; with no ill effects)....With just, so much love to give............This may be your boy.

He weighs in at 88lbs. He could stand to gain a couple more pounds, but Bear is so, so sweet.

Bear sends many moments of love and thoughts to his sponsors. He will have you all in his thoughts and heart forever. Because of you, he is living his second chance.

He sends his best to his fellow foster sister Rylie 08-235 and her recovery. He read her update and told me that she sounds really sweet and dreamy (don't tell Lucy he said that)...

Bear asks that anyone who reads this, be sure to give your pups extra hugs and love tonight and everyday. Pups, young and old....all they ask for is to be loved. It's that simple.

 

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Here are some new photos of our big Bubba. He really likes the sunshine and it makes him smile. He is so adorable...

I have many nicknames for Bear: Bubba, Captain, Cappie, Chief, Buddy Bear and Big Goof. They all suit him and he just loves the attention...

We had some thunderstorms roll thru last night. They were not too severe, but there were some good claps of thunder. This gave us a chance to see if he had any storm anxiety. He was a bit curious at first and did not know what to think of it, but he soon relaxed and I'd say he has no storm anxiety. He even slept quietly in his crate after we went to bed and there was more thunder. He did great.

I took Bear to the vet last night to have his fast breathing and diarrhea/gas looked at. His lungs and heart sounded as good as can be expected and he got some steroid pills to take to help open his airways a bit. It's nothing permanent, but just to help him out during his HW treatments. They checked a sample for parasites and it was clean. They are going to test it for Giardia also, as this is somewhat common for dogs coming in from his previous living situation. For now he is on some antibiotics for a week to help with it and we'll monitor it.

While there, we discovered he still has blood in his urine. It looks clear when he's going out in the yard, but they got a sample while at the vet and he still had it present. They want to treat his heavy breathing and diarrhea first, then work on the blood in his urine. They think he may still be having the effects of the HW on his kidneys and that may be causing the blood.

Through all of his treatments and ailments, Bear has remained the sweetest and kindest dog I've ever known. He is such a treat to have here and he is going to make some home out there, the perfect home.

With all of that said, Bear is not available to be adopted until he is finished with his HW treatment and neutered. However, if you have interest in him contact your placement advisor. Even though you'd have to wait to officially adopt him you can certainly meet him and I promise you it would be well worth the wait.

Some other things to know about Bear that you may be wondering:

- He loves car rides

- He is house trained

- Cat friendly (we have 3)

- He is not fond of vacuums, and just prefers to be in a different room

- He loves kids and has a curiosity about them. The neighbor kids all love Big Bear.

- He pulls just a bit on a leash, but is easily corrected

- He is crate trained. He is there while we are away just to make sure he and Lucy don't play and get his heart rate up.

- He knows, sit, stay, lay down and shake and he listens really well

Ideally a home with a fenced in yard is what we'd like to find for Bear. And one with another dog would be great, but not a must. He just likes to be around people and Lucy (his flirtatious girlfriend).

The smiles on Bubba's face and all his happiness would not be possible without RAGOM rescuing him and the help of his sponsors. Bear sends you all, many kisses on the ears.

Thank you for reading up on him and keeping him in your thoughts. He asks that you keep all the other RAGOM fosters in your thoughts and prayers too. They can all use them, but there are a few that really need them.


Bear being bashful
Bear smiles a lot these days

Look into my eyes....you're getting sleepy....
Sitting like a gentleman

Sunday, April 20, 2008

There is this bright thing in the sky this afternoon. Rumor has it that it's called the sun. None the less, Bear likes it. He is doing really well.

Bear seems to be pretty content these days. I'm going to try to get him an appointment tomorrow to have a few items looked at. He seems to breathe in fast short breaths even though he is not exercising. I spoke to the vet last week and she was not overly concerned about it since he is not coughing also. He also has really bad gas. I mean, I'm a guy so I can usually tolerate it, but it is to the point where even I'm getting a headache and a bit light headed :-). The vet said he may have a gastrointestinal bug so we'll bring in a sample tomorrow for them to check.

Bear has been with us for a month now. I hope that it has been the best month of his life. He is such a happy-go-lucky fellow. He reminds me of Mickey Mouse's dog, Pluto. He's quite the goof and has a bit of clumsiness to him on occasion.

He is off the pain meds from the shot and has not shown signs of discomfort. I do worry a bit about his short fast breathing in that it may be discomfort or stress. Hopefully the vet can figure something out for him tomorrow.

Bear wants so badly to play with his girlfriend Lucy. It make us sad when we have to stop them from playing. Luckily it won't be long until he can run and chase her everywhere....

His heart is big. His spirits are high. And he has nothing but Golden days to look forward to thanks to RAGOM and his wonderful sponsors. One only has to look at the photos in his first update to be reminded of the conditions he came from. It could have been worse, but it is certainly better now and he knows it. And he'll never forget it.

Thank you for reading up on our big Bubba Bear....


Bear, Lucy and Buca the Cat 

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Bear was happy to see the sunshine today. We took him out numerous times today and he was so happy...

Bear has very good recall when in the backyard with the fence so we usually take him out on a leash and we're able to unhook him so he can walk around a bit on his own. If he starts to get a bit wild, we immediately stop him and put him back on the leash. Most of the time, we don't need to say anything. Bear is so laid back that he just wants to wander around a bit and take in all the scenes and scents...

It has been 11 days since his first shot. He has been doing so well. It makes us so happy to see him happy and in good spirits. He will go back on May 6th for three days at the vet to get two more shots.

He is still hoping to meet a forever family who will love him for who he is. He knows he's not a purebred golden, but he also knows that makes him extra special. His heart is golden and that's all that matters to us and rightfully so...

He wants to send out a big hug and kisses to his wonderful sponsors. Did I tell you that one of them lives all the way in Texas? He will get to meet her in early May when she is here to visit him...He can't wait!

If you have interest in meeting Bear and possibly adopting him, please contact placement at placementatragom [dot] org . If you know you can be patient and wait for him to get thru his treatments, this is your guy. Trust me, it will be well worth the wait... And he will love you 'til the end of days for it...

Thank you for reading up on Bear and for all your thoughts and prayers for him.

 
In great spirits

 
Perfect smile

 
Very handsome boy

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Bear was giving me a kiss on my ear again today and whispered to me, a message he wanted to pass along to everyone.....You see, what Bear is going thru is completely preventable. If he had only been given preventative Heartworm tablets, none of this would be happening to him and he could already be with his loving forever family, wherever they may be. He wanted me to ask everyone and remind everyone to be sure to give all your pups the HW prevent meds that every dog deserves. Please remember to do so, so that your dog won't have to go thru these shots.... It's also that time of the year for Flea and Tick preventative meds too....

As you can see from his two latest photos, Bear is doing as well as expected. He still seems to have no personality effect from the HW shot a week ago today. He still smiles and seems to be enjoying his new Golden life.

Last night, I got home late from my soccer game and my wife was already in bed. Bear was asleep in his kennel and he woke up when I came in the house. I quietly let him out and laid down on the floor and he laid down next to me. I gently scratched Bear's head and paws and neck and we both dozed off to sleep. Bear really is a gentle giant with a heart of gold and a soul of endless love.

Bear again wants to send his deepest gratitude to his sponsors for giving him the gift of life. The cost of his treatments is much greater than I thought HW treatment would be and knowing he has your support is priceless. The invitation to stop by and meet him is still out there.

We tried giving Bear a bath the other night. I don't think he's ever had one, and it stressed him out to the point we did not even get him in the tub. We stopped as soon as we saw him get anxious. We then went to plan B and used a spray on, waterless shampoo (thanks Kelly) and it helped quite a bit.

Bear has had no accidents in our home and he has been a very good guest. We would let him have free roam when we are away, but we fear he and Lucy may start playing and raising his heart rate - that would be very bad. He goes into his kennel with a treat and never complains. We have the biggest kennel they make so even though he is quite a tall boy, he has a good amount of room to relax.

Bear will have to wait for a while longer to go to his forever home, but that doesn't mean you can't meet him if you have interest in him. This happy boy will win you over in mere minutes.

Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers.

And thank you for reading up on this angel that has blessed our lives by allowing us to care for him.


Watching Lucy play outside
A smiling Bear

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Nothing new to report on Bear tonight other than to say he had a very good time this afternoon playing outside again. He is soooooo happy and he was smiling a lot out there. We got some photos of him in the sun this time rather than a snowstorm.

He will get his first HW shot in the morning, so keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I will try to update his profile tomorrow when we hear how he is doing.

Thank you again to his sponsors. Without you, RAGOM would not be able to provide all the wonderful care they do for so many dogs in need, that just need that one chance....

There are some new photos of him....he's very happy and handsome.

Thanks for reading about him.

 

 
Twins fan

 
Being silly

 
Chasing his girlfriend Lucy

 
Bear smiling

 
Giving a kiss

 
Hanging outside with Lucy

 
Sweet face

Monday, March 31, 2008

Well, as I mentioned in Bear's last update, he did not get his first shot today. The meds did not arrive in time so he is going in first thing on Wednesday morning and we'll pick him up Thursday evening.

This of course gave us the chance to play in the new snow this evening. He actually got into it with one of the toys and started to flip it up in the air and toss it around like the happy, silly boy he is nowadays. He is so fun to be around. You would never know he is sick....We are so happy that he is happy.

There are some new photos of him, some while playing.

Bear must have some energy....on Saturday after getting home from the RAGOM event, we left for a bit and when we came back we found Bear in the living room finishing off a new pack of 12 tortilla shells and part of a Bobolli pizza crust... We didn't think he was a counter surfer, but we then realized that he is so tall he doesn't need to surf. He just sticks his big ol' head up there and sniffs around....Needless to say, the big goof wasn't hungry for dinner... We now just put everything away real good.... :-)

We are still wondering and so are many others on exactly what mix he is for a breed. St. Bernard? Great Pyrenese? Great Dane? Boxer? He has looks and traits of all of these. Bottom line is that he is unique and very loving. That's all that matters.....

Bear wants to send out a big hug and lots of love to his gracious sponsors who are helping with his mounting bills. He is inviting you all to stop by for a visit. He's going to be here for a while during treatment....

Thank you to all for all your kind words and wishes for Bear. It means alot to him and to us. He is big. He is strong and he will make it thru this. Of course, prayers help too...

Thank you for reading up on him. I'll keep everyone updated on his treatment...

 

 

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Bear went to PetCo today for about an hour. He did great with all the other dogs and took it all in stride. Thank you to all those who stopped to say hi to him. He had a great time and napped on the way home.

I apologize for the two new photos of Bear. They are a bit fuzzy, but very cute. He just never seems to sit still long enough for the pics. He's camera shy.

Bear's medicine for his first shot did not arrive at the vet yesterday so they can't give him his first shot on Monday. He will go in on Wednesday morning for his first shot. Cross your paws and say a prayer.

I had a few people tell me that he seems to be a happy boy and he doesn't seem sick. As I mentioned before, he has a great spirit and will, and he will fight this HW thing to the end. He is just a happy go lucky boy enjoying his new life as a rescued RAGOM boy. I think he has realized this is not a dream and it is for real. He loves life right now....

Thank you again to his sponsors. He truly appreciates your thoughts and help with his bills.

And thank you to all for following his adventures...

 

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Bear likes to give you kisses on your ears.

I must be getting older and more emotional...because everytime I think about our big loveable Bear, I start tear up again....

I had both a tear in my eye and a big smile on my face when I brought him home from the vet tonight...... I was in the back yard playing fetch with Lucy, and I always have to use two balls because she won't drop the first unless you show her a second. While I was waiting for her to bring the first ball back I turned to Bear because he was getting excited also. I then rolled the 2nd ball across the deck about 15 feet and Bear trotted over and picked it up and brought it back. I was ecstatic to see this!!! We repeated this a few times before he sat down on the bed and just mouthed the ball....It was so fun to see him playing with the ball...

I dropped Bear off this morning so they could try to determine the cause of the blood in his urine. The tests showed no sign of a tumor, which is obviously great news. They will run a culture on a sample to check for a bacterial infection and we'll know the results by Friday. The sample of the blood they drew directly from his bladder was given a TMTC rating as far as blood cell content in the urine. TMTC stands for Too Many To Count.

The plan is to drop him off on Monday morning for his first injection for the HW. The vet couldn't stress enough how critical the first few days will be for him. I will pray like never before and hope for the very best. I believe Bear has great spirit and has a strong will to make it thru. If he made it thru the first 7 years of his life in the conditions he was forced to live in, he can make it thru anything.

We have had Bear for 6 days now and he has absolutely stolen our hearts. It would not be possible for anyone to not fall for him. He is that great.

We will give him all our love and hugs and hope for the best come Monday.

I would like to thank Bear's sponsors from the bottom of my heart for your help in caring for Bear. It means so much to me and to him to know that there are people out there that have never even met him and know him only by his photos and profile, yet they are willing to help out with his growing bills. Thank you so much. He would love to meet you if you want to stop by. Although, I know one of his sponsors is in Texas!

I will try to add a couple more updates on him before Monday. There are some new photos of him. A couple are of him with me while relaxing with Lucy and another with him and his ball this evening.

Never pass up an opportunity to open your home to one of these loving souls asking merely for a second chance. You will not regret it and they will love you forever for it.

Thank you for reading about Bear. Please say a prayer for him.

 

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

We took Bear and Lucy for a walk the last two nights. The first night he did great on a Gentle Leader. The second night he did fine with a regular collar. He just loves to trot down the street and sniff everything and breath the fresh air.

I spoke with the vet last night. They really want to determine the cause of the blood in his urine before he begins the HW injections. At his appointment tomorrow, they will do all they can to determine the cause. Right now, the hope is to begin his HW treatment on Monday or Wednesday of next week.

Through all of this, Bear remains an absolute gem. He takes each day in stride and seems to be in good spirits. Every now and then he gets this look about him like he's worried and he knows there's something wrong. We just shower him with all the love and attention we can give him so he knows for sure that he is loved and will never be alone again. Every night when we put him to bed, I give him a kiss on his head and whisper in his ear that we love him and I promise him no one will ever hurt him again....

Bear is our 6th foster. He is one of those fosters that really seems to realize he's been rescued and he is so grateful for it and never wants it to end. I always reassure him it won't.

Some of the new photos of him show just how easy going this sweet Bear is. We call him our Buddy Bear....

If you would like to meet Bear and know that adoption of Bear will have to wait until he is treated for his HW and neutered, please email placementatragom [dot] org to set up a meeting.

We will say some extra prayers tonight for Bear's fellow foster brother Bacon and his foster family.

Please keep Bear in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you for following his adventures.

 

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Bear arrived here on Thursday afternoon. He will be with us for awhile.

Bear is a very sick boy. We brought him to the vet yesterday to determine the protocol for his heartworm treatment. Bear is at a stage four and they determined him to be a moderate to high risk of not surviving the HW treatment. This completely breaks my heart. He is the sweetest, kindest, most gentle dog I've ever met. He is so loving and when you look into his eyes, all he is asking is to be loved back. He just loves to bury his head in your lap and be scratched. There is not one bad thing I can say about Bear.

Last night he had some blood in his urine. The vet said this could be due to his HW or a stone, a urinary infection or a possible tumor.

I am literally tearing up as I write this, because Bear had to wait so long to get into a home and get the treatment he needs. I just can't say enough about how perfect this dog is. I will say many prayers for him and we ask you do the same.

Because of his size (85# yesterday) and how far along he is with HW, his vet care bills will be large. If you wish to sponsor a RAGOM dog, Bear would be a great candidate and would love you until the end of days for it.

Bear does not seem to let his sickness get him down. He loves to follow his new girlfriend Lucy (our resident Golden) around and sometimes she will get him to jump around and play. However, you can tell that Bear never had the chance to play before he came to RAGOM. He seems confused by Lucy's actions sometimes and he does not show interest in any toys at all. Somehow, with time, I think this will change.

Bear rides great in the car. He is crate trained, and has had no accidents in the house. He stays off the furniture (even though we allow the dogs on the furniture here) and merely sniffs the cats when they come by, but leaves them alone.

Bear is unavailable until he has completed his HW treatment and is neutered. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't want to meet you. If you have interest in Bear, please email placementatragom [dot] org. 

The vet we met with wanted to confer with the other vet at the office about Bear's treatment before determining the best protocol. They will talk Monday and then we plan on starting his injections Wednesday morning.

This big boy may not be PB Golden, but we don't care. He is a big handsome, loveable pup with a true heart of gold and he's going to get a tremendous amount of love from us. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

I've attached some new photos of him. He is camera shy so some are not the greatest. You can count on seeing many of him in the future updates...

Thank you for reading up on him.