Have you heard of Jelly Bean Jones? She wasn’t a famous actor or a member of a blues band. She was a small, 10-year-old, fluffy, black dog that we had the honor to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome. Here’s her adoption story.
Jelly Bean found her haven at the Senior Dog Sanctuary of Maryland in August 2023. She was surrendered to us by her previous owner, who was moving and could no longer care for her. Although quite nervous at first, it didn’t take Jelly Bean, or JB as we liked to call her, long to settle into life at the sanctuary among her comrades. She was a volunteer favorite who loved sniffing on walks and posing for the camera. She’d offer you her belly for a rub if you were one of her favorite humans. JB could be picky like that. In November 2023, a woman came to the sanctuary to meet JB, which was love at first sight. We snapped their adoption picture and happily waved them off, ecstatic for them both. Forty-eight hours later, JB was returned to us after her new family experienced a tragic event. Heartbroken for the family and JB, we were left speechless that she had already been to a groomer in that short time. JB was shown so much love in her new home in just two days! It gave us hope that we would find another loving family for this pup. As the winter turned colder, Christmas was coming fast. We knew that the taste of home life was lingering in JB’s mind, and we did all we could to find her a new home. To our delight, a foster family came to us interested in a fostering-to-adopt option. We sent JB on her way to see if this would be the perfect fit. About a month later, the family was adjusting to life with JB and decided to adopt her. We were overjoyed we had successfully found another home for this sweet girl. JB was receiving another second chance. Unfortunately, once again, this adoption was short-lived. A week after adopting JB, the family was forced to return her due to a biting incident. We were distraught. There are such highs and lows with rescuing dogs. No matter the reason, it is a massive strike to our hearts when things don't work out. Dogs, especially seniors, often struggle to adjust to new situations, and we know adoptions fail sometimes. However, our hearts bled for this sweet pup whose third chance at a home had failed. This one was hard to swallow. Like always, we welcomed JB back into the sanctuary and continued our mission to rehome her. Val never gave up on any dog, and neither would we. It was then that one of our beautiful volunteers stepped up to the plate. Recovering from a knee surgery, the volunteer saw that JB had been returned and decided to come in and see her. When she sat on the floor, JB came right over to her, laid down, and gently rested her head on the new knee, just like the volunteer’s beloved cat used to when she knew something was injured. The volunteer saw this as a powerful message, and her heart fell hard for this pup. It was decided that JB would try a foster-to-adopt situation with the volunteer and her family, with every finger crossed that this was the perfect fit JB had been yearning for all along. It took only 12 days for this family to realize that JB was and always would be theirs. Adoption papers were signed, and the newly titled Jelly Bean Jones finally went home. Life with Jelly Bean consisted of belly rubs from Grandma, grooming sessions complete with bows, visits to Kinder Farm Park with the family, a collar adorned with jelly beans, and raincoats to keep her dry on rainy walks. She was loved beyond measure, and our hearts at SDS were bursting! Only one month later, Jelly Bean visited the vet to decide if her kidneys had responded to a new diet. Her family found that it was quite the opposite–Jelly Bean’s kidneys were failing fast. Having experienced kidney failure with previous pets, her family prepared for the worst but hoped for a little more time with their beautiful senior. It wasn’t meant to be. Two days after that vet visit, Jelly Bean Jones marched across the rainbow bridge with her tail wagging happily, knowing she had experienced the unconditional love she sought for so long. Jelly Bean’s happiness comforted her new family because they had saved her and given her the love she deserved. Sometimes, the short stories in life are the most impactful. Even though it had only been one month, for Jelly Bean and her family, it felt like a lifetime. Rest easy, sweet pup.
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We’re going to be honest. It’s been a tough couple of weeks at the Senior Dog Sanctuary of Maryland. We know that sometimes happens, and we need to roll with the punches, but it’s so hard to lose a dog, and we’ve had to say goodbye to two of our sanctuary pups. Raven and Tyson, this one’s for you.
Raven, you were complicated, but man, we loved you! Raven came to us in July 2020 but was adopted two months later. She lived there happily until March 2022, when a biting incident forced her family to return her to SDS. It’s sad when it happens, but we are blessed to be able to take the dogs and help them once again. We believe that sometimes dogs need more than one chance, especially when life has dealt them a tough hand. Raven needed us again, and we needed her, too. She had a smile that urged you to cuddle but could snarl in the same fashion to remind you she needed her space sometimes. We appreciate both sentiments because we humans have the same mood swings. For the most part, the snarl came with her protective nature of wanting to defend her humans, a common trait for a loyal dog. They sense more than we do, which makes them so special. Unfortunately, sometimes, they only know how to respond with a snarl or a growl when they sense danger for their humans. Raven wanted those she loved, her sanctuary family, to be safe and would see to that at all costs. As she continued life as a sanctuary pup, arthritis began to show its colors, but Raven still maintained her walks with our gracious volunteers. One of our incredible staff members even built a ramp for her known as the “Raven Ramp” since the stairs were becoming too hard for her. It wasn’t until about six months ago, when her liver started to fail, that we knew her trip over the rainbow bridge was coming. While senior dogs can rapidly deteriorate, our Raven wanted to hang on for a bit. We like to think she needed to protect us for a little longer. Raven continued to love all of the littles at the sanctuary. If you were a little dog, she was your immediate buddy whether the littles liked it or not. You’d often find her on a walk with up to four or five little dogs, loving every minute. As she got more ill, staff members and volunteers brought her burgers and pit beef, which she would gobble down with delight. When the burgers weren’t eaten anymore, we knew her time had come. To Raven, our complex girl, you brought a spark to the sanctuary we won’t forget. We were your forever and proud to be. Rest easy now, sweet girl. The littles will look for you, but we’ll remind them you’re still watching out for them. Tyson, you may have been one of the laziest dogs we have ever had. Seeing you lounging on a chair or slowly walking around the sanctuary yard made us smile and feel a bit jealous. We wish we could be lazy, laid back, and just do life like you did. Moving from one place to another when the urge came and lying down next to a volunteer to get an epic belly rub is what you did, and you loved every minute of it. This pup came to us again in September 2023 after a family who had adopted him could no longer care for him. We welcomed him back like an old friend, and he settled back into life at the sanctuary. He wouldn’t want us to brag, but he did have his acting debut on our “Good Morning America” segment back in the fall. He trod around the yard as only Tyson knew how and thought, “Get my good side, folks.” He was impossible not to love. Tyson found his friends in the other large dogs at the sanctuary. Some of his best buds were Klink, a massive Rottweiler mix, and Mr. Wilson, a large German short-haired pointer. They often lounged around together in what we liked to call The Bachelor’s Pad, where only the bigs could hang. Klink and Mr. Wilson helped Tyson find the young pup buried within as he got a spunk in his step whenever his besties were around him. It made him forget to act like an old man. For Tyson, he wasn’t in pain long. We noticed him not feeling himself one day, and the next day, internal bleeding forced us to make a swift decision to cross the rainbow bridge. While a shock to us all, we think he wasn’t suffering. One day, he was walking around and sniffing lazily around the yard, and the next day, he looked at us and said, “It’s time to let me go.” It hurts, but we understand, sweet boy. Tyson, Mr. Wilson is lost without you. Bring him some comfort that you are now OK over the rainbow bridge. You’re not running as that’s too strenuous. You’re strolling like always, enjoying the fresh air and occasionally lounging around with the big dogs. It’s the life you knew and were good at living. We understand you’re okay now, friend. We’ll be OK, too. A beautifully large mixed breed named Mali came to us in October after being surrendered to BARCS by her previous family, who could no longer care for her. Situations like these are always so difficult for the families and the pups. We were so grateful we could step in and bring Mali to the sanctuary for more reasons than one.
Our excellent veterinary staff looked Mali over when she arrived and determined that, like most of our dogs, she needed a tooth removed due to dental disease. This is a fairly standard procedure for the dogs we rescue, and generous donations allow us to help keep our dogs' teeth in top-notch condition. Crest Toothpaste might want to sponsor them one of these days! While the dental exam wasn’t a huge shock, the soft mass on Mali’s side raised some more significant concerns. After further evaluation, we found that Mali had a mast cell tumor that was cancerous. We scheduled this poor girl for surgery as quickly as possible. In that small amount of time, she developed two more cancerous tumors. With three mast cell tumors, Mali was in for a fight, but if you know this energetic nine-year-old, you know she has the spunk of a puppy and was more than up for the challenge. Once we got her in for surgery, the vet was able to remove two of the tumors. The tumor on her back leg showed some incomplete margins, suggesting that all of the cancer may not have been removed. Because of this, we put her on medication to prevent the reoccurrence in that area. After a few weeks, her leg had healed and showed no new signs of cancer. We told you this girl was a trooper! Unfortunately, this particular cancer didn’t want to quit, and we found another cancerous mast cell tumor on Mali’s back a few weeks later. Another surgery could remove it, but the more significant concern was how fast these tumors were replicating. After some discussion, the vet decided chemotherapy was the best course of action for this spunky girl. The hope was that an oral, three-month course of chemo would keep these tumors at bay. Like humans, the worry with chemo is that the side effects may be extremely harsh while the medication kills the cancerous cells. Mali is already a dog who loves her people beyond measure and hates to be left alone. She becomes destructive when left on her own for long periods, and we wanted her to be able to have some solace during this already difficult situation. That’s when a beautiful foster family stepped in to help this sweet girl. The fosters knew what a toll chemo could take, having been through it themselves. They knew providing a loving environment would help Mali stay as healthy as possible and hopefully lessen chemo’s side effects. And guess what? They were right. Mali has been doing exceptionally well with her treatments. She’s her regular bundle of energy and seems to be suffering no side effects. The new bump on her back is gone, proving that the medicine is doing its job. Not only that but being in a home environment has calmed her anxiety. While we credit this to her resilience and fantastic dogness, we are also beyond grateful to her foster family for giving her the love and care she needs while fighting this awful disease. We love to help dogs like Mali. Our ability to offer dogs extensive medical care comes from incredibly kind, loyal donors supporting us. We hope we can update you soon that Mali is cured and happy. Maybe after all this, we can get this girl a home, the final step in the Sanctuary’s process defined by Val many years ago. Mali - we’re all rooting for you! *** Rocco's got some exciting barkworthy news *** but before he shares it, we want you to know why this is so exciting for the rest of us, too. When Rocco arrived at our Sanctuary, we were just as confused as he was. He had been tied to our picnic table overnight, with no note and no explanation. Just him, a leash and bed, and a bag things. How scared he must have been! He seemed healthy - especially for a senior. He was silent that whole first day. He showed no interest in food, play, or any "Sanctuary-things". Day 2: He settled in while we searched for more details about his past. Luckily, some friends of the Sanctuary helped us find his former home and we were able to piece together a bit of Rocco's life before us: - He was a loyal companion for the majority of his life until his elderly owner could no longer care for him. - A younger family member took him in, and after some time, they realized they couldn't provide for him. Day 7: Rocco settled into the #SanctuaryLife quite well. He claimed his favorite chair in our Lounge, he joined the "Men's Club" (a rag-tag playgroup where dogs mosey around and tell tales of their younger years), and, thanks to the generosity of Giant Food, he continued to enjoy the luxurious food he'd been accustomed to in his former life. For the next couple weeks, Rocco had fun, but he still seemed to long for quiet spaces in solitude, because he'd get cranky and outspoken when things got too loud. So, he spent many days on his favorite Lounge chair in the sun, with interruptions (that we call "being social") from staff and volunteers, and Wheel of Fortune on repeat on the TV. He likes what he likes. Day 40: Ms. Judy, a former adopter, asked if we had any dogs that were looking for her particular situation: a quiet home, with things to lounge upon, maybe some game shows here and there, and: homemade dog food. >>> In rescue, we call this hitting the jackpot, the moon-and-stars-aligning, the clouds parting to make way for sunshine. <<< You get the idea. Day 77: We present to you a video of Rocco's last visit. We think, but aren't sure, that he's telling us THANK YOU in his cute cranky-pants way. As animal-lovers, it's tough to understand how someone could leave a pet alone, tied to a table, in the middle of the night. But here's what we imagine: We imagine that the decision to leave a pet - as impossible as that decision may seem - was better than the life they faced at home. We believe that Rocco's family wanted more for him, and thanks to our supporters and families like Ms. Judy's, were were able to provide that for him. Senior dogs are never too old to learn how to live the #SanctuaryLife! Congratulations Rocco! If you are struggling to keep your pet, please reach out for resources and an understanding ear: info@sdsanctuary.com One year ago, we welcomed Harvey. His arrival marked the end of his street-running, garbage-scavenging career, and the start of a journey that would take him further than he'd ever been, without ever leaving our driveway.
Despite having no luggage whatsoever, Harvey brought his share of very heavy "baggage". Stubborn habits and inappropriate coping skills -- hard-earned from years of life on the run. He rebelled against fences, walls, and schedules. He shrugged off rules and held disdain for the dogs that obeyed them. It took him a solid month before he stopped fighting the leash. He could take-or-leave people, for good reason because he was once a semi-successful, independent Street Dog. Then. There were tiny breakthroughs: he learned that the sound of his name meant meals and treats, and that at the end of that really, really long leash, was a friendly, patient human connection. He stopped trying to pull down/scale/go under our fences. His pacing turned to sitting — and then to slumbering and to dreaming: “maybe this big fence is to keep me home so I can finally take deep, long snoreful slumbers...” You know, the kind of slumbers that only safe dogs take. Three months later, he’d grown from tolerating us to seeking us out. The sound of his name meant Sanctuary-things: a soft towel after a stroll in the rain, belly rubs and bully sticks, and every single weekend: playing games with his nose. The rattle of keys and an open door no longer meant freedom to this former Street Dog. No, to this Sanctuary Dog, they meant it was time to explore with his very best friend in the bright red truck. Finally, no more running the streets alone. #SanctuaryLife is a daily celebration of tiny breakthroughs, and it looks different for each of lives under our care. For Harvey, it means understanding the value of companionship and play, it means appreciating the safety of nourishment and care, and -- most of all – it means receiving the promise of forever that every dog deserves. We don’t know how long Harvey will call our Sanctuary home, but whenever he moves on from this home to the next, we promise that he’ll continue to live a #SanctuaryLife. A Senior Sanctuary Day costs $78 for each dog, every day*. Your support means we can continue to provide a #SanctuaryLife to even more deserving senior dogs. More about Harvey: https://www.petfinder.com/.../senior-dog-sanctuary-of.../ (*average expenses, 2021) |
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