​As happens from time to time, our wonderful Cody has had a "bump" in the road to his recovery.  We had not been able to pinpoint the exact cause of his intermittent tummy troubles with bloodwork and physical exams and the standard primary care of a fabulous veterinarian.  So now we have done comprehensive x-rays and an ultrasound which led to emergency surgery yesterday (3/28/18) to investigate some kind of a mass in his stomach.  Thank God, what we found was not some horrible malignant tissue.  It was the nasty remains of two stuffed toys.  Oy!  

​Cody's foster parents don't have any stuffies in their home (for that very reason) so heaven only knows how long those slimy things have been causing him distress.  We also got some liver tissue for a biopsy and a bit of bowel tissue to look for inflammation.    Some other breeds of dogs may not mind being in a hospital for a couple of days.  But not Collies.  Their sensitive nature causes them to yearn for their humans and they don't comprehend why they have been separated.  The fine staff at the Animal Emergency and Specialty Center in Parker has offered Cody little bits of food in hopes of stimulating his appetite, one of the steps toward getting him home.  But it took Tom, his foster dad, to offer Cody some scrambled eggs and shredded chicken.  He licked Tom's hand clean!

​See why we love Tom and Andrea?!

Cody is a handsome and stately older gentleman.  He is a 10-year-old neutered male rough Collie that has always had good care, other than his teeth.  (RMCSR will do a dental on Cody when the time is right.) Due to a major shift in personal circumstances, Cody needs the right family to spend the remainder of his life with.  He is very mellow and sweet and has the demeanor of being at peace with himself.  Tom and Andrea (his foster parents) describe Cody as companionable and very cuddly.  Tom wanted Cody to feel the comfort of arms around him to help him with this massive change.  So they stretched out full length together and fell asleep.  That is such a visual image.  I wish I had a photo of it.  I would place it here on my desk to remind me of two of the most compassionate humans I have ever known.

Cody is the quintessential senior Collie.  He likes order in his life and craves routine.  If things become chaotic, he internalizes the stress and it shows up as an upset tummy.  It is not unusual for Collies and Shelties to have sensitive digestive systems and they never do well on the supermarket type lower quality pet foods.  Corn, wheat, soy, by-products and artificial preservatives and colors will cause tummy upsets in a heartbeat.  Our Director only feeds premium quality grain free kibbles (such as Earthborn or Taste of the Wild) and actually cooks 93% lean ground turkey for her own dogs and all her fosters.  If you were to ask her pooches if she is a good cook, they would all raise a cheer.  (Her human family would have no comment.)  Each dog that comes from RMCSR will go from their foster home to their "forever home" with whatever dog food the dog is adjusted to. 

As we always say, there is a special place in heaven for loving humans who give senior dogs a soft place to lay their heads.  We start with a completed application please.

Please begin the process for adoption by reading our Adoption Policies and, if we sound like the right group for you, fill out our online Adoption Application. From there, our receipt of your completed application will be confirmed by email. You then will receive a follow-up phone call if we feel you are a good potential applicant for the dog. Lots of good conversation with the foster family, a reference from your veterinarian, and a home visit round out the screening process. We take dog adoption very seriously.  Please put a lot of thought into why you want to adopt a dog, and help us make a good match for your family. We appreciate your taking the time to visit with us. We will look forward to hearing from you as well.

Adopt Me!

Gus
Shetland Sheepdog Sheltie (medium coat)