# You just can't predict!!!



## Remo (Sep 8, 2004)

At the end of September I got a new foster whose name is Cheney (but we call him Toby). He is a very handsome blanket back with a gorgeous dark face. His left rear foot only has three toes that are wrapped around each other and his foot is totally deformed. It doesn't slow him down much and when he wants to run, he does with three legs. If you want to see a photo of this beautiful boy, visit www.shepherdrescue.org and find him under the available dogs section. (also have a photo of his poor deformed foot!)

When I took him in to have him neutered, the pre-op labs indicated that his kidney values where way out of whack. After a trip to the internal vet, and a sonogram, it seems that his kidneys are only about 40% of the size they should be. The vet said that he might only have six months to live, or who knows - perhaps six years. There is no predicting his life span. 

Knowing this, we thought that he would be a ward of the rescue and that he would be yet another permanent foster dog. In my mind, no one would be interested in adopting him so I was not in a hurry to get him posted on the web site. 

I finally got around to putting him up on our web site and in less than 24 hours I had TWO different parties inquiring about him. And get this - they are both fabulous applicants. 

When I took him to meet the first family yesterday, the dad was waiting outside for me to arrive. I told him that my biggest concern was that his 11 year old son would be devastated if Toby only lived for a couple of months. The dad told me that they had a family meeting the night before and he made sure his son understood what MIGHT happen. His son's response was that if Toby only had six months to live, they would make them a good six months. I had tears in my eyes. The mom has already contacted her vet and researched kidney disease and they decided that they would take him to the vet every three months to have his vitals checked. They also know that his special food will cost about three times what regular premium dog food costs. They are one of the nicest, kindest families I have met since I have been doing dog rescue. 

The second applicant is a tech at an emergency vet hospital that our rescue uses. She already has one dog with kidney disease so she is very familiar with what might happen. We talked on the phone for over an hour and I feel like we are the exact same wave length. 

I am just astounded that folks are willing to take on a dog with known issues. He also has a bad right elbow and arthritis in the same shoulder. But he is a magnificent fellow overall. 

So, the moral of the story is that you just never can predict what might happen with a rescue dog!!!


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

What an amazing story!!! Sounds like this boy will be blessed no matter who he ends up with!!


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

6 months or maybe 6 years, looks like Toby has 2 fantastic families willing to step up for him.


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Sounds like wherever Toby ends up he is gojng to be one of the most spoiled dogs on this forum!!! Job very well done!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

So now the question is who do you choose? I kinda know which one I would pick, but I'm interested in other people's thoughts?


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

llombardo said:


> So now the question is who do you choose? I kinda know which one I would pick, but I'm interested in other people's thoughts?


The family....


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## Big Brown Eyes (Jan 11, 2015)

I would rather this dog be put down, and the 2 wonderful adoption applicants be provided with 2 new dogs, who will potentially have long lives.

If the resources are scarce, then they should be utilized for dogs that actually have a shot at life.


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## Bella67 (Jun 22, 2014)

Big Brown Eyes said:


> I would rather this dog be put down, and the 2 wonderful adoption applicants be provided with 2 new dogs, who will potentially have long lives.
> 
> If the resources are scarce, then they should be utilized for dogs that actually have a shot at life.


Are you kidding me? There two different amazing people who are willing to give the dog a wonderful life for however long he lives; as they are both aware of the condition he has. Who knows he could live for another 3 years or 6 months? God makes that decision. But you would rather put the dog down? I'm sorry but that just really angers me.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Just ignore him. Don't let a wonderful thread be high jacked by one opinion, no reason to give it any attention. It's not relevant.


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## Bella67 (Jun 22, 2014)

Jax08 said:


> Just ignore him. Don't let a wonderful thread be high jacked by one opinion, no reason to give it any attention. It's not relevant.


Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that.


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## Big Brown Eyes (Jan 11, 2015)

Logic > sentiment.

How many wonderful healthy dogs are getting put down in over crowded shelters?

Why spend resources on a dog with disabilities, congenital defects, terminally ill?

It is a dog!

Edit: God is a kid with a magnifying glass and an ant farm. (If he exists).


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

It's called compassion Brown Eyes.


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## Lark (Jan 27, 2014)

Either one sounds like a great home. I am biased toward the family just because I feel like my dog would love to have kids at home. He would be in heaven if he had a little boy around.


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## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

It is so great that there are TWO wonderful homes that want Toby. I don't envy you having to choose between them! The compassion that the little boy has shown overwhelmed me. His parents should be very proud of the job they are doing with him! The vet tech taking on another dog with kidney disease is commendable, too. Please let us know who he ends up with!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Congratulations on finding two great candidates!

Some "Human Beings" look beyond a dogs problems and "feel" a need to help. 

GSD's were never on my horizon, I was pretty happy in Molosser World myself. Rocky(Wobbler dog) "Wobbled" into our world as a foster. 

We looked beyond his condition and just saw a dog in need! Honestly when I saw him, I thought... this is a dog that will never find a home! 

I had no idea, he already had! 

Honestly I can't say if we kept him because, he had a problem or despite him having a problem?? I just felt this dog"needed me!"

Not everyone needs or has to have a perfect dog! Fortunately for dogs that fall outside the norm...such is the case!


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Lea, another great job. Well done! Thank you for sharing Toby's story. Made me smile. OK, a little tear too.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

I get what Brown Eyes is saying, and I have a friend who works in rescue who would say the exact same thing: That resources should go to healthy and adoptable dogs, because there are so many of them, and stewardship of the limited resources means we shouldn't be sinking a lot of money and heartache into dogs who don't have as good of a chance because the overall benefit is greater when these resources are used to care for and place adoptable animals.

So I understand.

At the same time, I'm very happy for Toby and I think it's great that he had two good offers and a family who is so committed to his care.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Good for Toby. What I see is that people who get Toby will likely upon his death, line up for another dog - so Toby may be making way for more dogs to have homes rather than just taking a spot another dog needs now.
However, if I were considering where a healthy dog might go, I'd be tempted to send Toby to the vet tech who seems likely to be actually looking for tough cases and suggest the family opt for a healthier dog or one with less known health problems. Tough choice but a good choice to have -- two great homes asking for Toby.


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## ddvv (Mar 7, 2011)

I have been in rescue for over 20 years and it amazing to me how sometimes a dog that we deemed "highly adoptable" ends up in foster care for months and months and some dogs (older, deformed, etc) end up with 3 or 4 good applications...good for your pup that he will get a home of his own.


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## joneser (Jun 9, 2014)

Big Brown Eyes said:


> I would rather this dog be put down, and the 2 wonderful adoption applicants be provided with 2 *new* dogs, who will *potentially* have long lives.
> 
> If the resources are scarce, then they should be utilized for dogs that actually have a shot at life.


Many assumptions in your "logical" thought process, particularly when the facts are that he IS adoptable, as evidenced by 2 homes.

As someone who has rescued from the street, bought a "purebred," and am a 2nd home to a purebred, and because there is no promise of the future, the "shot at life" is only in the eyes of the beholder. Subjective. Neither logical nor emotional. A personal preference.

What IS objective is someone posted a celebratory story and you weighed in with a left-field opinion that isn't even in the realm of being applicable, based on the information available. Making your post highly illogical AND irrelevant. 

Unless of course your goal was for your opinion to be out in the interwebs for all to see, in which case, congratulations: you have an opinion.


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## lorihd (Nov 30, 2011)

how wonderful that you have 2 homes waiting to take him in. of course I wouldn't want to be the one making that hard decision on which one. I had a good chuckle on what joneser posted, very entertaining


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

I would go with the vet tech. This pup would be better off with someone that can monitor his condition more often then once every three months. It could come to a decision where $$$ is a factor for a family and the dog may lose his life much earlier because of it. 

Also, the vigorous activity the dog is likely to experience with a young boy would probably accelerate his condition. It may be a situation where if he takes life slower he may live many more years than running hard and taxing the 40% capacity he has with the kidney issue. I believe there is a special food also for kidney issues and the vet tech would probably be able to get it at cost.


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## Dayana (Mar 4, 2015)

Stonevintage said:


> I would go with the vet tech. This pup would be better off with someone that can monitor his condition more often then once every three months. It could come to a decision where $$$ is a factor for a family and the dog may lose his life much earlier because of it.
> 
> Also, the vigorous activity the dog is likely to experience with a young boy would probably accelerate his condition. It may be a situation where if he takes life slower he may live many more years than running hard and taxing the 40% capacity he has with the kidney issue. I believe there is a special food also for kidney issues and the vet tech would probably be able to get it at cost.


If money was the real issue with placing a pet, then a Applicant who is stable enough to raise a family would be a better fit. Average vet tech's make 50K a year , Which is rather low income these days, being single that person is the only one with an income in a home . Should medical expenses get tight , No amount of knowledge over a subject can out weigh the ability to afford bills.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

How wonderful that Toby has two great options for a home. Good luck making the decision -- certainly the best possible problem to have! 

And to the small-minded people: I have only once adopted a dog who didn't have a serious health or behavioral problem. Guess what? I chose to take those dogs over dogs without issues because I knew I could handle it.


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## Nikitta (Nov 10, 2011)

Big Brown Eyes said:


> Logic > sentiment.
> 
> How many wonderful healthy dogs are getting put down in over crowded shelters?
> 
> ...


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Dayana said:


> If money was the real issue with placing a pet, then a Applicant who is stable enough to raise a family would be a better fit. Average vet tech's make 50K a year , Which is rather low income these days, being single that person is the only one with an income in a home . Should medical expenses get tight , No amount of knowledge over a subject can out weigh the ability to afford bills.


Right? - half the "families" in the USA are living in poverty. The second half of my comment had to do with the frequency of monitoring the dog's health, which was stated that the family agreed to do once every three months. If $ was not an issue, why that limitation regardless of what a vet says?


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

I am so disheartened by the negativity in this thread. I get the "why save a dog that has issues when so many dogs without issues need help" line. I do. But this dog is safe and has committed rescue personnel looking after it. It's too late fir those remarks. 

Why is it so hard for people to just be happy for a dog to have a chance? This was not a thread asking about saving a dog. This was a thread to express joy that a low chance dog got a dang chance. 

Why can't we just be happy and hopeful?


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Most people are happy! Now, do we know who got him yet? Win win imop, but still curious.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

BowWowMeow said:


> How wonderful that Toby has two great options for a home. Good luck making the decision -- certainly the best possible problem to have!
> 
> And to the small-minded people: I have only once adopted a dog who didn't have a serious health or behavioral problem. Guess what? I chose to take those dogs over dogs without issues because I knew I could handle it.


I disagree with calling them small minded and don't think that was very nice at all. It is a great thing that you are able and willing to take that on. Not everyone is. 

So I totally understand where people were coming from on this thread, and I'm also glad for Toby's sake.


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Hello Remo, can you update us with regards to Toby? How is he doing, and who does he live with? Thanks


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