This started as a Happy Ending for both Homer and Charlie but sadly has turned to a Memorial for both of them.

After the loss of our Buddy in September, 2002, our house was very quiet and we knew that we needed to add another boxer to our home.  Buddy was 9 when we adopted him from Dawn in February, 2001 and we knew that his time with us might not be as long as we wanted.  Even though we only had Buddy 18 months, he left us with a lifetime of memories and a love for senior dogs.  In November, 2002 we adopted Homer (from Laura in VT), another senior dog estimated at about 7.  He adapted very quickly to our home and the three cats.  Homer did  come with some medical issues and suffered from seizures here and there. As our Buddy also suffered from seizures we just deal with it like it is a normal part of our routine.  After Homer settled, the house was still too quiet and we decided to give another older boxer a forever home.  In July, 2003, we added Charlie (9 yrs, adopted from Dawn), who was being fostered at the same home that fostered our Buddy.  Charlie also adapted quickly.   For 9 years old he sure does have a lot of spunk.  Homer who never knew how to play instigated the running matches in our backyard.  We did have some concerns as Homer had a old back injury but Charlie seemed to know how to be rough but gentle enough not to hurt him.  We enjoy watching them play with each other.  We cherished every day they were with us.  They were both great with our 2 year old son.  Adding a second boxer to our home has given us twice the joy.  They both accompanied us on a few camping trips that summer.  By the fall we had to invest in a bigger trailer so that they would both be comfortable.  They were great meeting everyone while we camped.  We enjoyed talking about rescue and how the seniors needed a good home for the last years of their lives.

Of course, having senior dogs does have its downside.  They may not be with you as long you want them to.  Sadly this is the case with Homer and Charlie.  One night in April, 2004, Charlie started throwing up.  As it was after vet hours, we rushed him to the emergency vet.  The news was not good.  Charlie had bloat and his chances of surviving the treatment was not good.  We had to make the tough decision to put him to rest.  As we only had him 10 months, we really felt cheated as he was in great health otherwise.  We were not prepared.  Homer was getting all the love we can give him and rarely left him alone knowing how important each day was.  Homer enjoyed a few camping trips with us this year.  Memorial Day Weekend we we were camping with 16 other families, most with kids.  They all took an immediate liking to Homer who most people couldn’t believe was a rescue as he was so well behaved.  Toward the end of June Homer started throwing up, which is something he rarely did.  Of course, our fears were that he had bloat just like Charlie.  The vet ran a bunch of tests and couldn’t diagnose anything specific.  As we had never asked what age our vet thought he was, we finally did.  He said he was probably closer to 13 which made us glad that we didn’t hold his age against him and gave him a forever home.  Homer lost 10 pounds that week.  We could not watch him suffer any longer.  The night before he left us he was up all night and couldn’t get comfortable.  The next day we sadly put him to rest.  We only had him 20 months and were really looking forward to his second anniversary with us. 

For anyone that may not be considering an older dog because of not having enough time with them or may have some medical issues, we can tell you that the memories you receive in the time they are with you will fill a lifetime.  Just a look at them sleeping on our couches  and the look they give you every time you show them love, we know we did the right thing by taking seniors into our home.  We would like to thank NBR for letting us give Homer and Charlie their forever home.  We will never regret taking older dogs into our home.  It is hard losing our 2 in a short period of time, but we will hold their memories they left behind for a lifetime.  Maybe one day we will get that younger dog we always wanted but we will never think twice about adopting a senior.