Story by Traci & Keith
I wanted to take a moment to share a special story about our beloved Duchess, a senior dog my husband and I had the privilege of adopting from Gray Paws Sanctuary. Duchess was an 11-year-old border terrier who immediately captured my heart when I saw her picture on Facebook. Her previous living conditions were quite heartbreaking; she had been living in a cellar for two years because the landlord, who was the son of her owner, did not allow dogs. Her owner wished for her to have a better life, and that’s how Duchess came into ours.
When Duchess first joined our family, she had difficulty walking and relied on pee pads. However, with time and love, she improved significantly. We even managed to capture her longest run, which lasted a whole eight seconds, on video! Duchess no longer needed the pee pads and could get around much better. Although she wasn’t mentally sharp, she was incredibly sweet, and we adored her dearly.
One of Duchess’s favorite things was to cuddle on my lap. She wasn’t comfortable on a bed or couch since she couldn’t jump down, but she always enjoyed being close. Duchess was often cold, so I loved dressing her in little sweaters and dresses to keep her warm. We had the joy of having Duchess in our lives for almost a year before she became too sick, and we had to let her rest. During that year, we shared so much love and happiness together. I like to think we gave her a wonderful and happy final year.
Our experience with Duchess inspired us to adopt our second Gray Paws dog and to occasionally volunteer to help with events and rescue a dog or two on behalf of Gray Paws. Attached is the video of Duchess’s longest run. I hope it brings a smile to your face as it does to ours.
Sammy is an 11-year-old black lab mix who now weighs in at 166 pounds! He is our gentle giant and is sweet as pie. He loves to talk to us; he complains both when we leave for work and when we get home – he lets us know that we’ve been gone too long! Sammy was living in a house with no electricity and no running water; the owner could not afford to feed him. GPS Volunteers helped with food delivery but it was not a long-term solution. We picked Sam up, took him to be groomed and then went to my daughter’s coffee shop for a pup cup (see picture attached).
Sam could jump on my bed when we first got him (1 year and 1 month ago), but he no longer can. He can, and frequently does, enjoy the couch! He is so big that he has to take the steps individually with his front legs, and then his back legs. It’s a thing to watch! Every morning I go downstairs first and he follows a few steps behind me; I try to keep him safe.
Sammy loves to go to work with me on Fridays. I don’t know how, but he knows when it’s Friday! If I don’t take him, he definitely tells me that he is unhappy! We go to McDonalds, he gets a sausage muffin, and then we drive to the North Shore of Pittsburgh, where my office is. One day I took him around to some local landmarks (PNC Park, the Andy Warhol Museum, a park with a big sculpture on the Allegheny River) and I photographed “Sammy does the North Shore” day. The pics are hilarious. I’ve attached a few. Sammy is my heart, and we hope to be able to care for him as long as possible. He gives so much love with his face!
Senior dogs are my heart! We will continue to help and love them as long and as hard as possible.