Each Dog Has A Unique Journey
Journeys are momentous undertakings… arduous voyages, sometimes perilous, often life-changing. Almost Home Dog Rescue of Ohio is dedicated to being there for dogs whose journeys have led them to dark and fearful places or left them lost and alone. At AHDRO, we specialize in Journeys of Hope. Our goal is to provide each dog who crosses our path with a new beginning. Regardless of how dark the journey has been, we believe in the power of love to heal. We believe that every dog deserves a chance.
Almost Home has rescued over 1,300 dogs since our inception in 2003. Each dog represents a unique journey. In some cases, their journeys began with us as tiny puppies looking for their very first homes. For others, their journeys ended as old dogs in desperate need of love and comfort at the end of their lives. Some were just passing through and we helped them transition from one good home to another. Others, having faced abuses and cruelties beyond imagination, required a lot of help to heal before continuing their journey.
What sets AHDRO apart is our mission to rescue not only the more “adoptable” dogs, but the ones who are passed by because they are particularly hard cases, those who are elderly, sick, or very fearful. These are the dogs who are most in need of rescue and hope. These “throw-away” dogs that no one wants are the reason that rescue organizations exist. Almost Home is committed to providing hope where it is most needed.
Our own hope is renewed daily by our rescued dogs’ incredible resilience, grace, and willingness to trust and love again, despite having every reason to give up on humans. This is the story of one’s dog journey…a journey with a happy ending made possible by the support that you provide. That support enables Almost Home to respond to calls about dogs in need by saying, “Yes, we can help!”
Hogan was found along the side of the road. An old sheltie, he was sick and filthy, his coat densely matted around his obese body. A very large tumor swelled on his side. It was obvious that he had been on his own for a long time when a kind family saw him and stopped to pick him up. They had trouble finding a rescue willing to take an old stray dog, until they found Almost Home. It was then that Hogan began his journey of hope.
It was painful to see the condition that Hogan was in. His movements were arthritic, his teeth horrible, the smell of his coat nearly unbearable. When he was shaved, the clippers revealed red, scaly skin and an obese, lumpy, swayback body shaped much more like a goat than a sheltie (earning him his affectionate nickname, “Goatie.”)
Like many dogs who have learned to survive on their own, Hogan showed little interest in humans and didn’t want to be coddled. He may have been old, but he was feisty and cantankerous. From day one, the thing he cared most about was food! He scarfed down every meal like it was his last, surfed countertops, raided the trash, and lunged to grab plates right out of people’s hands. He would not hesitate to bite anyone who came between him and food, and his foster mom learned to move quickly!
Despite the challenges, his foster family quickly fell in love with Hogan’s larger than life personality and legendary antics. One day he broke into the laundry room, managed to somehow pull the dog food bin off the second shelf, and gorged himself. Another day he ran to his crate with a stolen canister of oatmeal, where he was found sitting with the cardboard cannister stuck on his head. His Facebook fan club loved to read about the “Adventures of Goatie.” When bedtime came, Hogan wouldn’t go to sleep without his stuffed teddy bear. The bear was given to him by the family who found him and he fell asleep holding it in his mouth every single night, gently chomping on it for comfort.
Hogan’s age, inoperable tumor, and food obsession led to the decision to make him a permanent foster of Almost Home. With good food, care, and medication, he began to feel much better. He transformed into a happy, affectionate boy. His eyes grew bright with a mischievous glint. His coat grew in soft and shiny. He learned to trust people and became his mom’s constant shadow, laying on her feet and always wanting to be touched and loved. She wrote, “He would never follow the others outside in the mornings until I got out of bed and he would look up at me and wag that tail, demanding some cuddles. Then he would finally go outside.”
Hogan was an inspiration to everyone who witnessed the transformative power of love and hope in his life. No one would have recognized him as the dirty old stray he had been before. Love can change many things, but sadly it cannot change the passage of time, and Hogan passed away this year, his head resting in his mom’s lap, surrounded by the love and comfort of the family he had come to trust and adore. His family wrote: “We will miss him very much. He was a character loved by many and was proof that thrown away dogs can be the best dogs. They just need a second chance. Thank you to Almost Home for giving him that chance to have a home and the love and care he deserved.”
Hogan’s journey could have ended very differently. His story is not uncommon. Through your generosity, we can continue to work to provide new Journeys of Hope for each and every dog that comes through our doors. Your support of Almost Home Dog Rescue today will help dogs like Hogan find loving homes where they can live out their best lives. Please help AHDRO to help more Hogan’s.”
Please go to our website, almosthomeohio.org to read more Journeys of Hope and visit our Facebook page to share your own journeys with us!
