Update: June 14, 2021
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped find the most perfect family for sweet Sleuie by sharing and commenting on her featured post last week. We are continually grateful to be part of a community that cares so deeply for all animals — regardless of age or medical circumstance — and without your help, Sleuie would have woken up in her kennel yesterday morning. Instead, she woke up in her new home with her new family, who we know will spoil her for the rest of her life.
Seeing Sleuie meet her new family was special. It truly was love at first sight. She didn’t hesitate for a second before jumping into their car and upon arriving home, Sleuie walked right up to the front door and waited to go inside as if she had lived there her entire life. After scoping out her new home, she made herself nice and comfy on the couch (and has since tested out every single cushion and pillow to find the spot she likes best). She also went on a nice stroll by the lake, walked into the water up to her knees and met her new cat sister.
Her new family is absolutely smitten with her and is looking forward to many adventures together They say good things come to those who wait, but this isn’t just good… it’s the best.
This senior dog deserves a slew of love
It’s likely you’ve seen this sweet, frosted face pop up on your timeline over the past few weeks. Those of us who know her personally know there’s absolutely no such thing as “too much” Sleuie… but we’re hoping this will be the last time we post about how patiently she is waiting for her forever home.
Afterall, the saying is that good things come to those who wait, right?
Sleuie is a 10-year-old hound, and we often wonder if she has ever met a person she didn’t like. She has been with us for a month now and during that time, she has befriended every single person she has encountered. Sleuie is the type of girl that makes fast friends with everyone — especially if they bring along a cheese stick to share with her.
Though Sleuie came to the shelter under extremely sad circumstances, she doesn’t let it show. She eagerly greets everyone at the front of her kennel with a goofy smile, a head tilt, and a wagging tail. She has the most cheerful personality and has brought countless smiles to our faces. She truly is a gem of a dog, and we are confident she will make someone incredibly happy.
So, how did such an amazing dog end up homeless at 10 years old?
Sleuie was surrendered to us because her beloved owner passed away. The duo had quite the story, beginning when he rescued her after learning she had been living tied up outside. It’s easy to imagine just how bonded she was to him and how much she has been missing him. We know he filled years and years of this girl’s life with light and warmth.
We have vowed to find her a loving home to pick up right where he left off.
To add on to Sleuie’s bout of bad luck, our medical staff discovered upon her arrival that she has a mast cell tumor. Due to its location, Sleuie’s age and her current quality of life, our team has opted to not remove it. Mast cell tumors can vary widely in their behavior, so her prognosis is unknown at this time. However, it is so important to us that Sleuie finds a family that will love her unconditionally for whatever time she has left.
Senior dogs can be challenging to find homes for — especially those that have cancer. But we don’t believe in turning our backs on animals that need us, and we certainly don’t believe that a cancer diagnosis makes her unworthy of love.
Now more than ever, this sweet hound deserves a bout of good luck.
To Sleuie, “good luck” would mean a family that will see past the diagnosis and promise to keep her comfortable and happy for the rest of her life — however long that may be. We know this wonderful girl will quickly become the center of someone’s universe, and that’s exactly how we want her living out her golden years.
And hey, around here, we consider it a poorly kept secret that adopting a senior pet can actually be one of the most rewarding experiences you could ever have.
Like Sleuie, many senior animals have lived most of their lives with one family in one home. To end up in an unfamiliar place when they start slowing down, needing that extra love and support… it’s devastating. When senior dogs are returned to their kennel at the end of the day, they know what they’re missing out on.
They know they’re missing out on being able to curl up on the couch for a snooze as the TV brings laughter to their family’s living room.
They know they’re missing out on digging through a crate of toys purchased specifically for them — toys they got to pick out themselves at the pet store.
And when a special family shows up to give them that life for the rest of their weeks, months, or years, they are truly appreciative. They will show their family every single day just how grateful they really are.
Luckily for Sleuie, the New Hampshire SPCA is part of a community that cheers for the underdog. We will happily continue to care for her, but we know a kennel is not a home and that Sleuie deserves to spend the rest of her life with a sense of security and a family to love. She deserves that crate of toys and a comfy couch.
We’re turning to you, hoping you can help us find her just that.
Sleuie enjoys going for walks and uses the time to get lots of sniffs in. She’s a strong girl and still has plenty of pep in her step. In true hound fashion, she is very aware of what’s going on around her and will let out a big “awooo” when something really grabs her attention. It’s pretty perfect.
The real way to Sleuie’s heart, though, involves less activity and more snuggling. Right at the top of her “Ideal Home Wishlist” is a couch big enough for her to be able to curl up on — all 90 pounds of her! — and a person to share it with.
Sleuie has never lived with cats or children, but we do know that she does well with other dogs; an introduction would be mandatory to keep everyone happy and comfortable.
Does Sleuie sound like your kind of girl? Do you know someone with a soft spot for senior animals who is willing to provide her with a hospice home? Email us today at info@nhspca.org and let them know Sleuie sent you!
They say good things come to those who wait. Can you help us find Sleuie’s good thing?
Written by Melissa Mower, Marketing & Graphic Design Associate
