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Tom T. Hall once
wrote a song about ‘Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon
Wine’, three things dear to his heart. Well, if he likes
old dogs he would love our four honorees; our oldest dogs in
both chronological age and ‘time at SOAR’.
These dogs are not SOAR graduates. In fact, barring a miracle,
they will never be SOAR graduates. They are all teenagers (fall
2003) and SOAR is the only home they have ever known. Despite
SOAR’s best efforts they have never been adopted. Their
names are Wilma, L. T., Fred, and Darlin’.
How They Came to Be At SOAR
L. T.
One day in 1990, Jeannine got a call from two young girls on
Oak Island with word that a dog had just been run over by a
car. The girls told Jeannine that it was a puppy and was lying
in the road but miraculously, was still alive. Jeannine asked
the girls to be very gentle and to pick the dog up and bring
it to her, which they did. Jeannine examined the dog and found
not even a scratch on her. She seemed fine except for being
very scared. Maybe it had been just dropped from the car instead
of being run over by it. Jeannine told the girls she would take
the dog, nurse it to good health, and try to find someone to
adopt her. She named her L. T. She took L. T. to the vet, got
her checked out, treated for worms, and got all necessary shots.
And, as she had for so many other animals, she kept L. T. in
the house until she was a bit older and healthier.
Fred, Wilma, and Darlin’
These siblings’ introduction to SOAR also started with
a phone call. There is a mobile home park (Villanova) on Long
Beach Road about a mile before you get to the airport heading
towards Oak Island. A dog lived there but she didn’t belong
to anyone; she just hung around the trailer park. She was a
tall dog, rather fearsome looking but gentle, and she wouldn’t
come close to anyone. She lived off of the food that residents
would put out for her and whatever else she was able to scavenge.
And, she had a lot of puppies…littler after litter.
One night, a woman phoned Jeannine and said that a litter of
her puppies was stuck in a drain pipe on the property and that
she was very afraid that they would die soon if they weren’t
freed. It was raining and the woman felt there was a good possibility
that the puppies would drown. Jeannine hurried there and after
a quick examination of the situation could see that it was becoming
dire. Jeannine could hear little whimpers as it began to rain
harder and harder. She called 911 for help. Soon the rain was
torrential and Jeannine knew those puppies had to be freed without
delay and that there wasn’t time to wait for help. Her
back was hurting and it was hard for her to bend down to where
the puppies were but, probably with an adrenaline rush, she
was able to get down, grab the pipe and break it. After the
pipe was broken, Jeannine, and the woman who called her, reached
into it and pulled the puppies out. All seven of them. ‘Mama’
dog watched all this activity with mild fascination but didn’t
protest in any way.
Jeannine dried the puppies off, put them in her car, and took
them to SOAR. Just like with L. T., and with all animals that
come to be at SOAR, they got excellent care and attention. She
kept them in her house, cleaned them, and took them to the vet
for medical care. L. T. was living in the house at the time
and she became good friends with the puppies, especially Wilma.
So, Jeannine not only had her outside kennels full of dogs;
she also had her house full. Adoptions needed to occur.
And adoptions did occur. The puppies were lab/pit bull mixes
and four of them were more handsome than our honorees. They
got adopted fairly quickly. Our honorees were not so lucky.
No one seemed to want them, so they stayed at SOAR. And stayed,
and stayed, and stayed.
Today
It is now 2003, 12 years have passed and they are still with
us. Even though they have always been sweet, gentle dogs, no
one has ever adopted them. Often dogs will be adopted on a trial
basis only later to be returned to SOAR. For one reason or another
things don’t work out in their new family. Our honorees,
rather unbelievably, have not even been adopted on such a basis.
So, SOAR continues to do what it has always done, love them
and take care of them.
In the case of L. T., Wilma, and Fred it is not hard to believe
they are as old as they are. They look and act their age. L.
T. is the oldest and her age definitely shows. Her gait is a
little unsteady and she has arthritis or rheumatism. She stays
in the same kennel as Wilma and they look after each other.
Only on rare occasions will they go outside of the main dog
enclosure. SOAR has approximately 15 individual kennels. These
kennels, and the dog common area, are enclosed by a fence with
two entry/exit points. Fred, Wilma, and L. T. do like to come
outside of their individual
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Dog Common Area |
kennels for a short time but they stay inside the fenced common
area. They are content to feel the grass under their feet for
just a little while and then will go back into their kennels.
Both Wilma and L. T. will often scratch out a little hole in the
ground and then lay in it until you ask them to return to their
kennel which they will do without argument. They must like the
combination of the cool dirt under their bellies and the warm
sun on their backs. Fred will come out into the common area for
just a little while and often goes back to his kennel without
any coaxing. If you do ask him to return to his kennel he will
do so without any fuss.
Darlin’ both looks and acts much younger than her litter
mates. She runs very fast from one end of the common area to
the other in much the same way that puppies and much younger
dogs do. You don’t believe she is as old as she is when
you see her bounding around. Darlin’, unlike the others,
will go for walks with the volunteers. But, there is a certain
radius from SOAR that she will not exceed. Maybe she doesn’t
want to go far from SOAR or maybe far from Fred, her kennel
mate. Who knows? When she reaches this ‘radius point’
she puts on the brakes and that is it, she isn’t going
any further. All you can do is turn around and take her back.
Wilma and L. T. live closest to the entrance of the common
area that the volunteers use. It is they whom we see first.
It gives us a good feeling to see them and know that they are
present and accounted for. Tammy, the Oak Island animal control
officer likes to visit them and she tells them they’ve
been taking their ‘pretty pills’. Tammy worked at
SOAR during the years when these dogs were young so a special
bond exists between them.
They are doing great but we worry about them because they are
exposed to outside temperatures and winter will soon be here.
SOAR is not fortunate enough to have a temperature controlled
facility for the dogs. Whatever the outside temperature is;
that is what they get. It gets very hot in North Carolina. And,
it gets very cold. A Minnesotan or New Yorker may disagree with
this statement about getting cold but most people believe 15
and 16 degrees F is on the chilly side. As senior citizens they
cannot cope as well with temperature extremes as can some of
their younger compatriots. L. T.’s arthritis is exacerbated
by cold temperatures. But, they do not complain. They have lived
through 2 or 3 hurricanes, every temperature extreme you can
imagine, and countless terrifying thunderstorms. Yet, they are
still with us and still doing well.
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SOAR
Cemetery |
We would love to have them adopted but it would take a very
special person or family to adopt them at this late stage. There
is a beautiful little cemetery on SOAR property where animals
that die at SOAR are buried. In all likelihood our four honorees
will some day be interred there. That will be a very sad day
for us so let’s hope that it is in the distant future.
If you would like
to meet them in person they would love to meet you. Come to
SOAR and personnel there will introduce you. All four will be
there; you can count on it.
Updates:
Aug. 2004
Well, we said in the preceding paragraph that all four dogs would be at SOAR. Wrong. We are so happy to tell you that Wilma and L. T. have been adopted. We're stunned to say the least. You can imagine our surprise when, after 14 years of trying to find them a home, we finally did. A most wonderful woman, Gisela, (the same woman who adopted Faith) said that she wanted to give them lots of love before they died. She wanted to take them home. We told her that L. T. was incontinent and this would be problematic. She said not to to worry, she would put diapers on her. Our owner Jeannine decided that Wilma and L. T. deserved this chance. And, with Gisela's love for them things are working out great. They are sleeping on the bed and sofa, going out the doggy door when they want to go outside, enjoying Gisela's other dogs, and basically living in the lap of luxury. We're so happy. They haven't had to deal with the extremely hot temperatures we've had this summer and hurricane Charley which was very difficult for SOAR was nothing for Wilma and L. T. All of us, humans and canines alike, are fortunate to have a friend like Gisela.
Fred and Darlin' are still with us and still doing good. Darlin' got hit in the head with a small tree limb during hurricane Charley but she's fine. Is there someone out there that will take them home?
November 3, 2004
L. T. died today and we're very sad. L. T. was 15. She was at home with Gisela and her best friend Wilma. She collapsed and Gisela rushed her to the vet but nothing could be done to save her. L. T. will be cremated and her ashes spread in the SOAR cemetery.
January 13, 2005
Fred has just been diagnosed with cancer. We're very worried about him and only hoping it is very slow growing. He is feeling fine today and you would never know that he has cancer from observing him. He just hangs out with Darlin' and is his regular self. We'll keep you posted on his condition.
June 20, 2005
And now there are just two. Wilma was put to sleep today. Her arthritis had gotten so bad that she could no longer stand or walk. We are very sad about losing Wilma but glad that she lived the last year of her life in the comfort and love of Gisela's home. Wilma is now with her best friend, L. T.
August 16, 2005
Fred and Darlin' are still alive and managing to survive this terrible heat wave we're having. Darlin' is not looking good; she has lost a lot of weight. A trip to the vet could not confirm any specific illness. Fred, despite a cancer diagnosis eight months ago seems to be doing fine.
October 20, 2005
Fred and Darlin' went to live with Gisela yesterday. Gisela is the most wonderful woman who is giving love and a home to our beloved Fred and Darlin'. They are so old and they need the attention and love that Gisela will give them. We are hoping that they will thrive and be very happy and have their lives greatly extended by being in Gisela's care. Thank you Gisela, again.
February 8, 2006
Fred had not been able to eat for a few days because of acute kidney failure and on this day, Gisela took him to the vet and he was euthanized. Fred, at the age of 15, was gone. So now there is just one of our most beloved dogs left; Darlin'. Darlin' continues to live in comfort and happiness with Gisela. Gisela has to endure heartbreak time and time again because the dogs that she prefers to adopt are those that are old or have disabilities. She is an angel.
August 2, 2006
Darlin' died today. She held on for as long as she could but it was her time. She is now in heaven with Fred, L. T., and Wilma. |
