March 2012 ~ We’re very sorry to have to update Shandy’s page with the news that he has very sadly passed away :( Oldies Club is very grateful to his lovely foster family for taking such great care of him for us and our thoughts are with them. Sleep tight, Shandy.
April 2011: Shandy’s foster Mum tells us:
Shandy really is a joy to care for and is no trouble at all. He isn’t too keen on the very hot weather we’ve been having and bright sunlight hurts his eyes, so when it’s very sunny he likes to be inside. He’s eating very well and has only had one ‘episode’ in the last month. Shandy sometimes decides to look for me upstairs if he can’t find me immediately and gets himself up but then can’t get down again because of his poor sight! He just curls up patiently on the landing until I find him and guide him down!
He just adores other animals and gets very excited when he meets new friends. An 18 year old cat has just joined the household as a foster and was very distressed and feisty when she arrived having, like Shandy, spent all her life with one owner. She is settling down nicely (thanks to Feliway!) and is tolerating the dogs; I was anxious about Shandy getting scratched but she seems to sense his gentleness and apart from an odd hiss or spit if she feels he’s being too intrusive, so far so good!
He is currently having his mid morning nap and will have a treat with the others when he wakes up – what a life!
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Shandy is a dear old man who came into Oldies Club foster care just before Christmas and never left! He had lived with his previous owner since he was a pup, but the lady sadly had a very bad fall which meant she had to stay in hospital for months. Shandy, who is now approaching 16 years of age, was in the flat while his owner’s family looked after him, until they were able to find him a space in rescue.
Once in Oldies Club care, a vet check revealed that poor Shandy has a bad heart, failing eyesight and a mild degree of dementia. With this and his age in mind, the charity decided that he should remain in permanent foster care as a sponsor dog and his lovely foster family very kindly agreed to care for him for the rest of his life. Oldies Club will continue to cover his veterinary bills.
Shandy’s foster Mum tells us that he has gradually come to terms with his new life and is an absolute joy to care for. He adores other dogs and has fitted in well with their mini Dax, an elderly deaf Collie cross and an elderly Yorkie, along with four cats and two grandchildren!
Shandy had been very loved by his previous owner and was rather shell-shocked when he arrived in Oldies Club care, but has adapted beautifully and come out of his shell. When he first arrived, he spent much of his time in bed, which was clearly somewhere he felt was safe. He would retreat to it a lot and watch the comings and goings in his new home, but now he only goes to bed when he wants to sleep :)
Shandy’s foster Mum tells us that he initially panicked about travelling in the car, but has relaxed and accepts being lifted in and out of the car too. He loves his lead walks, but is not able to go off-lead, so and enjoys visiting a relative’s massive garden and having a good potter around in safety :) He has always been clean in his new home and is a gentle soul with other animals. He isn’t always desperate to interact with people, but his foster Mum tells us that he does give her a lovely greeting when she has been out and gets very excited and bouncy when other members of the family return too :)
Shandy is now enjoying his twilight years with his lovely new family in the lovely Derbyshire countryside, where he is receiving lots of TLC from his foster family and excellent veterinary care. Oldies Club is very grateful to his foster family for welcoming him into their family and taking such great care of him.
If you would love to offer a home to an oldie but your circumstances aren’t suitable, perhaps you would be kind enough to sponsor Shandy or one of the other special oldies we are caring for that, due to health problems, are unlikely to be offered a permanent home.