GRANNY G (Gladys)

LOOKING FOR SOMEONE VERY SPECIAL?? Hmmmmm. How to explain Granny G (Gladys) Granny G, first came to our attention, from a Facebook social media post on a lost and found page. Gladys was laying in a ditch, that a farmer was needing to clear before the water was turned on. He thought she was dead, because she didn't move, not even when the back hoe, picked her up in a scoop of dirt and set her down on the ditch bank. Imagine his surprise, when she got to her feet and started to walk away. Our hearts were both touched and broken at the same time, so we sent a volunteer to pick her up and that is where our odyssey with her begins. She was completely exhausted from what we figured was her attempts to get out of the ditch. She is quite old and arthritic so the effort must have been excruciating. To make matters worse, she was not a dog who appeared to be familiar with being handled and her black double coat was densely felted to the skin with dead undercoat that looked like it had been building up, all her life. It was only because she was weak from exhaustion, that we were able to get a good deal of the undercoat out, with a mixed effort of shaving and scissors and brushing but we feared her intolerance of it, would cause her more damage than good, so we rid her of the worst of it, then let her be. She was placed in a foster home, with a big fenced yard and for the first 3 days she was with us, all Granny G did was pace. We thought she was blind and deaf and just hoping to pick up the scent of something familiar, but her pacing had a desperate, mindless automation to it, that made our hearts hurt for her. She would only cease when exhaustion caused her to collapse. She would lay there for only a few moments and then would struggle to her feet, to begin the pacing again. We discussed the possibilities with our vet. Was it dementia? Was it a desperate search for something familiar? Was it pain? At her vet exam, her heart and lungs were great for her age and a blood panel showed only some slightly elevated liver enzymes, most likely due to dehydration and a lifetime of poor nutrition. Her dental required the removal of just one tooth, which surprised us and the rest, while completely worn down, just needed a ton of plaque and grossness removed. An ultrasound showed no uterus, so at one time, somebody had her spayed, but there was no chip and certainly no signs of her having recently worn a collar. Back at her foster home, Granny G refused to come indoors, ignored all attempts of providing comfort, like beds, blankets or houses. She would lay, where she collapsed just long enough to recover a bit, then take off on her mindless, quest for the unknown. She seemed completely and utterly miserable and the thought crossed our minds, that perhaps in rescuing her, we had only made her misery worse. Our only straw to cling to, was the fact that Granny G, still had an appetite and loved to eat. This went on for several days but then, a tiny light turned on, when one morning her foster woke up to find Granny G, had come into the house, through the back door she had left open...just in case...and was laying just inside the sliding glass doors, on the tile floor. She was so soundly asleep, that she did not wake when touched so she was left alone, to get much needed rest. It was the first real sleep her foster had seen her get. There have been many improvements since then, but Granny G, is and will always be an enigma. She is not afraid of people and will follow her foster around the yard, but any touch sends her into flight, like she has been touched with fire. She refuses to sleep on beds or bedding, probably because she never had them before and because they cause her balance problems, with her weak, unsteady legs. The best we can manage is a small fleece but if she lays on it, it is only because that is just where she decided to lay down, and not because she sought it out. Her pacing has now mostly stopped and she no longer acts desperate and confused. She does have sight and hearing issues, but not out of line with a dog her age. It is our belief, that she probably lived her whole life, as a farm dog that had minimal human interactions, outside of being fed. How she ended up in the ditch, too exhausted to get out and not known to the farmer, whose property she wandered on to, will be forever a mystery but with each passing day, she seems to enjoy her new life, just a little bit more. She still does not like touch but she does enjoy coming indoors. She can be crated for short periods of time, but because she has lived an outdoor life and is aged, her housebreaking skills and bladder control, are not the best. A doggy door, might be the best option for her if you do not want to take her outside, every couple of hours, to do her business. She gets along fine, with all the dogs and cats in her foster home, but neither needs them or seeks out their company, so could easily be an only dog. She travels well once you get her into a vehicle and is actually pretty good on a leash, though she struggles a bit, when first leashed up. Anybody with a heart big enough, to consider being this girl's last home in life, should be prepared for her to not show much gratitude. WE on the other hand, will be THRILLED. She is a very independent creature, without much need for humans outside of meal and treat times yet she is charming in her own unique Granny G way. We are encouraged that she has shown the ability to adapt over time, at her own pace and seems to enjoy her life in her foster home so it is not unreasonable to think this appreciation could grow, in an adoptive home. But it might not. For us, the reward is in seeing a light in her eyes, that was not there when she arrived, and a little smile on her face that seems to be there, even in her sleep. There are some very special people in this world, who open their hearts to dogs like Granny G, and while she is welcome to stay in her foster home, until her last days, if one of those special people is you and you would like to meet this very special old girl, please go to our website at www.allmuttsgreatandsmall.org/adoption. Tell us why you think she should come and live with you and if we agree, we'll set up a time for you to come and meet her and see what happens. Granny G is spayed, up to date on five way and rabies vaccines, microchipped, flea and tick free and has been treated for intestinal parasites. She is a work in progress and if you would like that progress to continue, at your home, we would love to speak with you. Granny G's adoption fee is $100