Senior Dog’s Health Concerns and Supporting Their Care
Ellen’s Honor Inc.
ellenshonor.org
Ellen had several major chronic illnesses that created a precarious health situation for her, one that became a delicate balance of medications, diet, careful planning as well as daily observation.
Senior dogs are just like senior humans, they develop health concerns as they approach their “golden” and “twilight” years. These concerns can alter the course of their lives, but many of these conditions can be managed with proper veterinarian guidance and a lot of patience, some money, and a lot of love.
Ellen’s Honor Inc., a new non-profit developed to assist senior dogs in extending their lives, wants to help dogs like Ellen and humans that care for dogs like Ellen.
Ellen’s Honor was developed for three main reasons:
- Assist senior dogs in paying for costly and timely medical care for diseases and illnesses that often lead to early and unnecessary euthanization.
- Save senior dogs from “no-kill”, and other, shelters where they may be deemed un-adoptable due to illness and other chronic health problems. These shelters often euthanize due to difficulties in adopting high-needs senior dogs, to make room for younger more “adoptable” dogs.
- Create a network of compassionate senior dog champions to mobilize when an emergency arises and a senior dog needs immediate attention. These champions can be anyone with a soft-spot for senior dogs…from offering cuddles to expert medical competencies.
Several hundred thousand animals at “no-kill” shelters are euthanized each year and chronic illnesses are often the reasons provided for their untimely deaths. Ellen’s Honor wants to save them from this fateful decision…Ellen’s Honor wants to relieve shelter managers from having to make that impossible decision.
Ellen had diabetes, pulmonary hypertension, cushing’s disease (an auto-immune affliction) as well as regular complications that accompany these problems.
If Ellen had been at a no-kill shelter, with the medical conditions she lived with for over four years, she most likely would have been euthanized without attempting to adopt her to a loving family. This is a painful truth that so many senior dogs have to realize.
Ellen was a happy and active dog from day 1 of her adoption, until the day that she died. Even on that last day, she was eating, barking and playing as normal, and it was a mistake of an emergency hospital veterinarian that ended her life…not her body giving up or her brain telling her it was time to go home.
Eventually, Ellen’s Honor will be accompanied by Ellen’s House, a facility where senior dogs will live in hopes of adoption or, in cases where dogs are too sick or scared for adoption, they will live out their lives in dignity, optimal healthcare and lots of LOVE!
Ellen’s Honor will also begin to work toward the creation of Ellen’s House. Please consider visiting ellenshonor.org for more information and to sign up to be a Senior Dog Champion, donate to the organization, or simply say hello!
