Joining forces for older Portuguese dogs
Flin from Stichting Perro & Co talks a bit more about this here: "After we adopted an old dog from a Portuguese animal shelter in 2017, we got more in touch with this shelter. Shortly thereafter, our foundation was established to do a bit more for them. Our focus is not only on giving these dogs a loving home, because that alone doesn't really solve the stray dog problem. We mainly try to focus on prevention projects. For example, we provide education, facilitate neutering, and simply try to set a good example. And in doing so, we aim to contribute to a change in mentality."
"Regularly, old dogs also end up in this Portuguese shelter. Sometimes it concerns an abandoned hunting or breeding dog, but most often it is a pet whose owner has passed away. These little animals have difficulty adjusting to shelter life and, due to their age, often need a bit more comfort. It's terrible when these animals have to die in a cold shelter kennel. That is why we established 'Project Senior' to help these dogs have a happy old age as well. We look for foster families or adopters who can take in a senior pet and sponsors who can contribute to the costs. From experience, we have learned that people who are able to have an old dog at home are not always able to bear the financial burden. And people who may have the financial means are not always in a position to take a dog into their home. That is why we try to work together, so these sweet oldies still get a chance."
Medical care and other expenses
Flin vertelt verder: "We try to place the older dogs directly with a foster family where they can stay, so they don't have to move again in their old age. In the beginning, high costs are often incurred for virtually all dogs. Just the travel, blood tests, microchip, and passport together already cost about €390. And you can imagine that these older dogs often have some 'delayed maintenance' that needs to be taken care of. Teeth may need to be pulled, preventive medication administered, or tumors removed."
"We work together with MARKdierenartswho only charges the cost price and gives a discount on the medication, although it still ends up being quite expensive. If the animal is in the Netherlands, we are allowed to message him directly on his private number, which means, for example, we don't have to go to an emergency clinic or the old pet doesn't even have to come to the practice. Often, a photo or a video is already enough for him. Of course, this is great for the foster family, but especially for the dog itself."
"This project still depends entirely on sponsors. We are genuinely grateful for every euro. If our sponsors enjoy it, they also receive fun photos and videos of the ups and downs of the rescued seniors once a week."
“"Of course I love puppies and kittens, but they can't beat the peace and charm of our senior animals for me. Young animals still have to discover the whole world, learn everything, and figure out that they are not the center of the universe."
Dalils was the grandma of all the dogs in the shelter
When we ask Flin about the stories of animals that have stuck with her, she starts talking about Dalila. ‘Dalila was brought to the shelter together with Java because their owner needed to be hospitalized. These sweet dogs were not used to the harsh shelter life and could not adjust at all. It was not possible to find someone who wanted to adopt both of them, and because the dogs were very attached to each other, we decided that they could stay in foster care together.’
'Dalila had heartworm and bladder stones and, of course, arthritis. She no longer saw very well and could barely hear anything. But that really didn’t bother her at all. She did get painkillers daily and, of course, special diet food because of her bladder stones. Treating the heartworm was too dangerous due to her age. That's why she got Milpro monthly, so the heartworms couldn’t multiply. And despite her ailments, she still had a very pleasant life.'
'Dalila was the sweetest little dog we have ever known. She liked all people and was gentle with all dogs. Whenever we had puppies in foster care, they were always crazy about Grandma Dalila and were allowed to sleep in her bed. Dalila was attached to her routines and made it very clear to us how things were supposed to be according to her. For example, she thought running around freely in the large garden at her foster home was nonsense. Walks had to be on a leash. If not, she would bark at you loudly. And after the walk, she was supposed to get a treat. She also thought she should always get a bite of our dinner, but we ended up breaking that habit.'
Two painfree years for golden oldie Luna
Also little dog Luna stuck with her: "She was brought to the shelter because her owner had to be hospitalized. The owner had been suffering from Alzheimer's for some time and could no longer take care of her. Luna was thin, covered in ticks, and her coat was dirty. She had an old jaw fracture from abuse, which caused her nose to be crooked and created an open connection between her palate and nasal cavity. Somewhere in the middle of her palate, a few teeth were dangling. This caused a lot of discomfort and inflammation, so she underwent surgery. MARKdierenarts was able to close her palate, allowing her to breathe, eat, and drink properly again. She also had surgery to remove mammary gland tumors and was spayed. During this surgery, it was discovered that she had an open abdominal wall and that all her organs were adhered together and located in the wrong place in her abdomen. The likely cause was several poorly performed cesarean sections in the past. The little dog must have suffered a lot of pain. With her foster family, she was able to enjoy two more years of a pain-free and comfortable life full of love. And truly, she enjoyed it every day."
In addition to sponsors, Stichting Perro&Co is always looking for foster families. Flin tells us a bit more about this: 'If someone is interested in taking a dog from Project Senior into their home, we first get to know each other thoroughly. The dog comes directly from the truck into your home, and that requires quite a bit from you. You can never be completely sure how the dog will behave in a house, and we really try to prevent such an old, vulnerable dog from having to move again later. That’s why we are looking for people who have a lot of experience and can be flexible with all kinds of behavior. Of course, you must also be able to handle the fact that you may soon have to say goodbye to a dog. Sometimes they only live a few months. If we think someone is suitable, we discuss which dogs are appropriate and the form of cooperation. The arrangements we make are actually different for each person and each dog. We make sure that it is a wonderful experience for everyone.'
