TUCKER UPDATE! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. The number of inquiries and requests for Tucker coming in are unreal. However, its clear that most of the folks who are offering to help Tucker have missed the information in our original post that he has special needs. This is not just a sad dog who needs a home. Tucker has a life threatening illness IF left untreated. It is not a neglect situation, its simply a medical condition that is more common to this breed. He has IBO--Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth and anal fistulas. This combination has left him critically underweight and suffering from chronic diarrhea for much of his life. Tucker is going to need a very special diet (probably raw meat with vegetables and multiple supplements) plus ongoing medical care to manage this condition for the rest of his life. It will not be inexpensive. It will require a serious, life-long commitment to ensure he lives a good, happy life. For now, we are seeking a foster home to help us get Tucker healthy and identify the long-term plan that is best for him. There is no cost to foster Tucker, however, we have had so many amazing families come forward that we will give priority to those who are also interested in adopting him. That means, priority will be given to those who: 1) Have had experience dealing with similar conditions (IBO, EPI, or have cared for pets that have required alternative diets--and we dont mean Hills Prescription Diets.) 2) Have experience with GSDs. 3) Who have the time to help Tucker get well, which means not being crated for an 8-10hr work day. 4) His behavior test indicates he would best best with kids 10 and up but we will consider kids a bit younger based on their experience with large breed dogs and their maturity. 5) He is selective about other dogs, so a meet and greet will be required. 6) Still getting requests to put him with cats....NO CATS! 7) Who live close enough to our Noblesville shelter to bring Tucker in for check ups and any tweaks we need to make to his medical plan. He is in no condition to be sent out of state or where we cannot see him regularly. 8) And lastly, because our ultimate goal is to find him a forever home, we will be working with those individuals who feel they have the financial ability to sustain whatever Tucker may need to live a good life. We are spending approximately $180 per month plus medication on his diet and supplements to put this into perspective. Thats not to say it will always be that much, but it could be. 9) Hes a 3 year old German Shepherd who needs space. An apartment is not an ideal situation for him. 10) Is he worth all this trouble? ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY! Well start contacting applicants momentarily. We are open today from 12pm to 5pm. With literally hundreds of inquiries and offers to help Tucker, we wish that every single one of you would come see ALL of our dogs now waiting for homes. Each of them deserves the the passion and love youve offered Tucker. Weve also had a lot of questions about donating toward his care which as you can see has been very expensive. Your tax deductible donations are greatly appreciated and can be easily made from the big red DONATE button on our home page. hamiltonhumane/ Much love & gratitude, HSHC
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 15:09:31 +0000
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