Sedona Remembers Shellie, Little Boy, and Dollie
Being in rescue, it’s hard not to become attached to the dogs that come into our program. Whether they are with us for a short time or with us for quite some time, we get to know each dog and bond with many. We have wonderful adopters who take these dogs, adults and seniors, some with medical issues, into their homes and give them their happy endings. We couldn’t be more grateful. Please take a moment to share a tribute to 3 very special Sedona dogs who recently left us. And their families. We will miss Shellie, Little Boy, and Dolley.
LITTLE BOY - BIG HEART AND BIG LOVE
Little Boy was like your dad’s friend nicknamed “Tiny,” so you just knew he would be a big guy. Little Boy was all affection, all shepherd, coming in at about 115 pounds. Before coming to Sedona Shepherd in 2022, the last few months of his life were extremely difficult. First, one of his owners passed away. Then his mom, whom he had lived with all his life, passed away. Finally, his current owner had numerous health issues that made it difficult for her to properly care for Little Boy. He was then surrendered to Salem County Shelter.
His luck changed when the shelter reached out to Sedona Shepherd. We brought Little Boy into our program and enjoyed his exuberance for life. Little Boy loved to play with his soccer ball and go for walks. He quickly bonded with our volunteers and was always happy to meet new people. After a few weeks, we noticed a wobble in Little Boy’s walk. After completing a physical, it was determined that Little Boy had Degenerative Myelopethy (DM).
While the disease progressed relatively quickly, it never slowed Little Boy down. A Forever Foster Friend opened up their home and heart to Little Boy. When he lost most of his mobility in his back legs, Little Boy quickly adapted to using a cart. He was able to enjoy the final year of his life in a warm and loving home.
SHELLIE BELLY - ONE CRAZY GIRL
Shellie came to Sedona Shepherd all the way back in 2018. She was found as a stray in Philadelphia, and we estimated her to be about 7 years old. After spending time at the Philadelphia ACCT shelter, a spot opened in our program. Shellie was a big hit with our volunteers. She would do some crazy jumping around when she got happy, like a bronco bucking. Like many dogs we rescued from the Philadelphia shelter, Shellie had severe ear infections. At first, we attempted to clean her ear with oral and topical medications. However, the infection was too far into her ear canal, and she had a successful ear ablation (removal of her left ear canal) in 2019.
Shellie’s surgery was successful. The surgery also made Shellie feel much more comfortable with people petting her on the head and keeping her right ear clean. We aimed to find a lovely home for Shellie to share her fun and a little crazy personality with. Shellie had many qualities that would make her desirable to our adopters. She was pretty, dog and people-friendly, and had quite the personality. However, her first adoption was short-lived. After two nights, she was obviously uncomfortable with one of her new adopters. Shellie stayed with us for several months and settled into a nice routine with one of the volunteers. Her second adoption lasted longer, but she was too much to handle for one of our older adopters and their dog.
We wouldn’t give up on Shellie. Once again, with us, Shellie went on a lot of road trips with some of our volunteers, spent time with other of our dogs, and had a good time just chilling out with all her friends. She still hoped for a forever home. Unfortunately, after two more tries, we discovered that Shellie had an odd behavior. She would quickly become attached to one of her adopters in her new house and not want to share her affection. Shellie needed just the right home, and our super Forever Friend Foster, Kimberly, was just the home. Shellie’s time with Kimberly would be the adventure and home she sought. Shellie loved car rides and Kimberly took her on all her sales calls. Shellie got to play down the shore and take road trips all the way to Michigan. Shellie lived her best life for three years before passing away in October of 2023.
TAKE A CHANCE ON LOVE - DOLLEY
At the end of summer 2021, Dolley’s owners were preparing to move out of the country. They needed help and would not move until they could find a home for Dolley and her son Sparky. Dolley’s owners knew finding someone to take both dogs might be difficult. Although only 8 years old, Dolley was already having mobility issues. It was clear that she had degenerative myelopathy (DM) and was struggling to walk in a straight line. We were immediately moved by Dolley’s infectious joy of life. There was no doubt we would find a spot for both Sparky and Dolley. It did not take long for Dolley and Sparky to be the center of attention at Sedona Shepherd.
Dolley was tiny for a German Shepherd, only about 45 pounds, but she always looked out for her son. The two were bonded and would run around the yard, feed off each other’s energy, and keep each other company. Dolley’s DM quickly progressed, but that did not slow her down. We quickly fitted her for her own cart, which she loved. Sedona has placed 12 bonded pairs, and we knew that despite the difficult task of finding a home for Sparky and Dolley together, an angel would arrive for them. It took a while, but Dolley and Sparky found the perfect home. Her new adopter worked from home had a fenced-in backyard, and her extended family would give Dolley the attention and care she needed. They created small ramps to help Dolley get in and out of her house. As the DM worsened, Dolley even had her own little red wagon. We know that she was loved from the moment she arrived until her passing away in October 2023.