We thought it was a short-term hospice situation. Doberman Rescue of No CA emailed asking if we would offer a temporary warm bed and food for a senior dobe male - "he has been at the shelter 8 days, we just don't want him to die there." Dana Johnson (who is also the DPCA legislative director) sent out an email plea in Dec2007 with her "Christmas Wish" - that no dobe would be in a shelter on Christmas Day. Her rescue was "full" with 10 dobes, and no room for another intact senior male with special needs. Her request was that we house him for a month or so...or less, depending on how much time he had left. Little did we know how sick "Foster" was. Respiratory infection that required antibiotics and clearing mucus through the night for a week or so (my husband and I took turns staying up with him) just so he could breathe. A very large tumor on his prepuce that made his stream "crooked" -- he had to teeter to balance on 3 legs, and always ended up with his back leg/foot wet. Age approximated at 12, he was the ultimate "unadoptable" rescue, found abandoned at the dump. Big brown eyes, polite, sweet and scared - Foster touched our hearts. We adopted him in honor of our dobergirl, Scout, whom we had lost to cardio only 2 months prior. We had had nearly 13 wonderful years with Scout, a great life - it seemed right to honor her by offering care to a dobe less fortunate. Our "angel" vet treated Foster's multiple symptoms. He even had a foxtail embedded and infected in the foreskin of his private parts. She (our vet) skillfully removed the enormous and unsightly tumor, several more weeks of recovery. Biopsy results came back (remarkably) benign! Foster has recovered. Due to his colitis flare-ups he will require a life long Rx diet; elevated liver enzymes will also require an expensive life long supplement, Denamarin; and significant arthritis which will also requires a frequent anti-inflammatory Rx - Previcox. He has worn down and fractured molars, but our vet says they are not severe enough to warrant the risk of additional anesthesia/dental work at this time. Despite all of this, Foster remains a sweetheart and shows his gratitude daily with his loving "dobe" leans and kisses. He has completed a "basic obedience" class (7 sessions), with a genuine desire to please and he learns very quickly! Who says you can't teach an old dog "new" tricks?! Needless to say, he is no longer a "foster", but a "resident" although his name remains Foster. He will be "grandpa" to a dobe puppy we expect in Dec 2008. As the breeder of our prospective puppy says, "keep your Foster, it's criminal to let the old ones go before they're ready".

Special Medical Needs:
(1) Denamarin, Rx supplement for elevated liver values (vet recommends life long) 
(2) Previcox, for significant osteoarthrtis 
(3) Flagyl, for colitis flareups 
(4) Rx diet due to colitis flareups 
(5) Dental work as needed for broken molars and worn down teeth

Contact Information: Please contact Liz or Mark by phone at 831-663-2908, or by e-mail at lizibis@mindspring.com.
Additional photos of Foster available at: Photos.