We never really know what circumstances have resulted in an animal’s behavior traits or medical condition. And such was the case with dear Smokey, a miniature schnauzer/poodle mix. At an estimated ten years old, Smokey came into a city shelter as a stray. As a fluffy puppy, Smokey was probably purchased from a pet shop or direct from a pure breeder. But helpless and grumpy, there he was. He looked pretty awful and smelled just as bad.  The majority of his teeth were completely rotten and the shelter removed them. His nails were terribly long, as was his hair – very matted and covering his eyes nearly completely.

When he came to us, he tolerated very limited touch. This was Smokey’s World and we were just living in it. Everything was according to Smokey – the way he wanted it, when he wanted it and if he wasn’t happy, there was very little warning to get your hands as far away from his five remaining teeth as possible! That said, he liked the company of children, other dogs and cats in his foster home.

For Smokey, a simple bath was difficult, nail trimming or grooming was out of the question. Picking him up was sometimes alright, other times not. Smokey did not allow anyone near his face / ears / neck / chest and he did not like closed spaces. But, Smokey was a kind soul and we adored him for the moments that he was truly happy – curled at your feet while watching television, eager to get into the car for a ride, thrilled for his evening walk, or at your heels excited for a treat! And for ten years old, eighteen pounds, Smokey had a lot of pep-in-his-step and a thunderous bark!

Once Smokey healed from his dental procedure, it became clear that something serious was occurring in his eye, as he was digging at it constantly. Our veterinarian determined that Smokey had a very deep ulcer and the only way to treat it was medicated eye drops, three times a day. (Yikes, this was going to be a challenge!) For months, Smokey’s foster family struggled to administer the drops, but his eye was not showing any improvement. We finally decided it was in Smokey’s best interest to remove the ulcerated eye.

The procedure was a success and we have seen a tremendous improvement in Smokey’s demeanor (and tolerance for touch) since the source of his pain and irritation was removed. Smokey still has his grumpy moments, but he is (overall) a much more content little guy. Visiting the vet is by far his greatest challenge and it sometimes takes several vet techs to work with Smokey during his appointments. He requires anesthesia for grooming because he will probably never tolerate that degree of handling.

Smokey was forever adopted by his foster family, who love and understand his needs. Smokey will even sit in a lap these days, allow a belly rub and, occasionally, enjoy a good chin scratch.  He might be an ornery older gentleman sometimes, but he’s happily living out his senior years in an accepting, loving home!

Be-Be, a nine-years-young, male Shih-Tzu, was surrendered to a Baltimore City shelter by his elderly owner who could no longer care for him. Be-Be had obviously been well-loved by his owner and was overall, very healthy. He came under our care after his eye was removed. Our experience with senior dogs, particularly those with vision limitations, made it a good fit. Be-Be healed beautifully from his surgery and was soon adopted by a lovely couple with two cats. Be-Be is now Porter and he is thriving with his wonderful forever family!

Porter's Mom is completely besotted. “We've been reflecting on our first year with Porter as his ‘gotcha’ date is fast approaching and we just couldn't imagine our lives without him. He is Mr. Personality and as he gets more and more comfortable with us, we see more and more of it coming out. And we get less and less room on the bed because he likes to sleep perpendicular in the middle of us. He is surprisingly spry for a 10ish year old pup and has bursts of puppy energy! He is still very interested in chasing the cats (and VERY jealous of them) but we've made a lot of progress there. We got married in April and Porter was our flower pup! Porter likes treats, shoulder scratches, lounging, chasing you, snuggling, food, snacks, more treats, cold weather, peeing on ALL THE THINGS, strolls to the park, barking at nothing, neighborhood kids, did I mention treats?”

King Soloman, an eleven year old, fluffy white Pomeranian, came into a Baltimore shelter as a stray, not neutered. He had suffered a severe eye injury which required removing his one eye; his other eye was so badly ulcerated that he was now completely blind. And as a very senior dog with no vision, his quality of life was a concern. That’s when King Soloman came to us.

While in foster care, it became immediately evident that this little dog had a lot of life left to live! Blindness and age was not going to stop him! He quickly bonded with his foster pals, enjoyed short walks and engaged in play! Once Soloman mastered the layout of his foster home, he went up/down steps with ease and navigated his backyard using memory and scent. Soloman knew where to find his water and his food bowl. And it was through King Soloman that we gained valuable experience understanding blind dogs and a tremendous appreciation for dogs with vision impairments!

As soon as King Soloman’s future “Mom” saw his post, she was instantly in-love! And indeed, it was a perfect match! King Soloman and his adoptive “Mom” are travel companions, both for work and for fun! And he’s on Instagram … you can follow him at PomKingofBmore to see all of his adventures!