In Townsend Township, Ohio, a senior dog had been chained alone to an old enclosed truck trailer with only a dish of frozen water. It had been just weeks before Christmas 2023, when rescuers found him and carried him to the Huron County Humane Society.
His name was Shadow, and he was 14-years-old. His back legs didn’t work, and he dragged himself around using his front legs, however he could still move his back legs and wag his tail to show everyone he met how excited he was to have been rescued. He was taken to a warm veterinarian’s office where they tried to figure out what had gone wrong with his legs.
The Huron County Sheriff’s Office had helped to seize Shadow from the property as a result of his living conditions. And as Shadow’s treatments began, volunteers instantly fell in love with him, and would take him for walks using a sling to help him maneuver around. Veterinarians confirmed on December 19 that Shadow’s condition was permanent.
It is believed Shadow suffered from Degenerative Myelopathy (similar to Lou Gehrig’s Disease) along with age related growths and poor vision. It was determined however that Shadow was not in pain, and with all that knowledge and a truly happy dog, it was time to “spoil Shadow rotten.” One of Shadow’s all time favs – cuddling up on the heated kennel floor amid lots of cushions and pillows.
As a special gift to Shadow, he had been fitted with a wheel chair and a special harness, and it made it much easier for him to stay with his best doggie pal – Tequila, who was rescued at the same time. The two were closely bonded – they had each other in the worst of times, and now they had each other in the best of times.
While there had been a lot of interest from folks wanting to adopt Tequila, the shelter staff and volunteers were not willing to separate her from Shadow, as they “were very bonded and such a comfort to each other.”
Sadly, just a week ago, and after five months, the shelter had to humanely put Shadow to sleep because of his deteriorating health.
Since the passing of Shadow, Tequila’s life partner, is now available for adoption. She has been doing fine and handling her loss graciously, but she deserves a loving home and a warm lap. She tends to be pretty shy with new people but warms up quickly. She had a dental done and had almost all of her teeth pulled out so she’s on a soft food diet. She has luxating patella and sometimes holds her back leg up when she’s running around. The vet didn’t think it was beneficial for her to go through surgery, and she gets around perfectly fine. Tequila is 10/11 years old and has a lot of life and spunk left.
Please share her story; this sweetheart deserves the best.
Rest in peace Shadow. You’re a good boy.
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