Will

paw
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HIS "WILL" TO SURVIVE

Will Update September 2008

Will has been adopted to a wonderful home!!!!

This is the final chapter that will be posted to Will's story. He has been adopted to a wonderful home! I miss him very much, but I am so happy that he is finally in a loving home where he can get all the attention and belly rubs that he wants. This happy ending is because of each and every one of you and I am forever grateful!(and so is Will)

I wanted to give a quick update, and maybe write something down for the Rigdon History Books that you are welcome to share or put on your web site. I know that many people donated time, money, blood, sweat and tears to Willie's survival and I feel the least I can do to show our gratitude is tell everyone about Willie's new home and how he's been doing for the short time he's been here.

I thought I would just paste my original email below that tells the story of how we came to be searching for a dog to adopt, and then just use this space/time to tell about what he's done while he's been here.

First things first. Completely by chance, Willie (and a few other dogs) came to visit us on Baxter's 13th Birthday. He ended up getting a puppy for his birthday! As has happened many times throughout the years, occasionally we have a visitor who likes it here so much that once they come, they never leave. We have to be careful who and how often we extend that invitation to! A similar thing happened when I met my first wife. But that's another story...

So the kids fell in love with Will on Sunday (well really they fell in love with *all* the dogs that visited that day, but just a bit more Will than the others) and he decided to stay for a 'trial period'... I think he has adopted us already even though he hasn't signed the final paperwork.

I don't think any dog lovers out there will be surprised to hear that Will already has a number of nicknames, the most frequently used being 'Willie Wonka', which the kids sing to him in reference to one of our old favorite movies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Nana has been calling him Willie Nelson for unknown reasons. Willie doesn't seem to mind what you call him, as long as you call him.

I thought that we would have to adjust our schedules to make time for a new dog to learn the rules around the house. Not so! Willie has such good manners that you'd think he has lived here for years. It must help that Baxter knows the rules better than *I* do (although we have very few rules here) and therefore it's easy to just follow him and do as the Romans so to speak.

I am so happy to report that Baxter has been spending a significant amount of time outside during the day with Willie. For the month or so that he was alone here (without his Beagle friend) he went outside only long enough to do his business and then back in the house or wherever the kids and I were. The other day I came home to find him sound asleep in the shade with Willie nearby. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, and Baxter being a very old dog, I just don't think that 'alone' is a trick he would ever learn. Nor did I want him to have to accept it. Even though Baxter has already sniffed every square inch of our yard and knows it like the back of his paws, he is more than happy to accompany Willie on his daily scouring of the yard as if by chance someone buried treasure there overnight that might be uncovered today on *this* adventure.

Willie hasn't decided just yet where his favorite place is to sleep. He has tried out several spots in the house... the first night he slept in my bed at my feet (next to Baxter) and seemed happy to do so. On the many nights that have followed, he has tried out Ezra's bed, Sophie's bed, the couch, and even one night a pile of clean laundry. He tends to end up in my bed, but he does roam in the night to check on things about the house. This weekend we have had the pleasure of my Mom, Aunt, and Nana visiting, so he has had a lot of people to check on and keep track of. Baxter has known them long enought that he's content to stay in bed all night with the knowledge that they've been just fine on their own for the 13 years he's known them, they'll probably be fine one more night. But it's nice of Willie to make rounds nonetheless...

So one of the things I was worried about any new dog adjusting to is the regularly scheduled daily chaos here. Kids to school and here and there, grocery shopping, I work from home so I'm here most of the day but do other different things outside the home here and there without a firm schedule. I take the dogs whenever I can, so riding in the van is a must. Willie seems to dig it! He even spent some time at my x-wife's house while the kids were there and he seems to thrive on the madness here. Whew. I don't know if *I'll* ever get used to it.

Willie has already won over both of our adjoining neighbors... last night while I was cooking dinner I saw him bark at Katherine out back through the fence, and thought I would go out to introduce him and see if it would help him stay quiet. By the time I got out there she was petting him over the fence and she said, "Oh don't worry, I'm a dog person and Willie and I have already had several nice visits while I was out here. I'm glad to finally know his name though!"

And of great importance is that the kids love to cuddle and play with Willie. Baxter is an affectionate dog, but being an older fella he doesn't cuddle as much as he used to and he rarely plays. Willie is probably an 'older dog' by most standards, but he plays and tugs and chases a ball for the kids, all things that they are too old to remember Baxter doing many years ago. While I have high hopes that Baxter will be with us for another 13 years, we all know that probably won't happen, so it will be good to have Willie around when the sad day comes that we do have to bid Baxter adieu. I have to admit that I recently realized how much I'm aging... I have a dog that has been with me for 13 years... most people don't have *anything* for 13 years let alone a pet!!! I joked that I wish I could find a woman that loved me a fraction as much as Baxter does, but that would be asking a bit much. Baxter has warmed my heart in ways and places that I didn't know I had places. I'll try to reserve a corner for Willie in there as well. Kids have no such space concerns. Plenty of room for the love of a new dog!

Well it looks like I'm rambling for the most part at this point so I'd better close. I'm late starting the daytime chaos here!

I wanted to send a heartfelt thanks to everyone that helped with Willie's care, his story touched me personally as there was a time not so long ago in my own life that I was given very little chance of survival. Willie has a similar disposition to mine which I believe that you can only have when you know that every day is a blessing.

Cheers from The Rigdon Home

Will Update July 2008

Will is an adorable and very sweet beagle mix. He is about 5 years old. It has been a long, hard road for Will, but now he is healthy and happy and looking for his forever home. He is about 30 pounds...the perfect size! He is up to date on all vaccines and is on monthly heartworm prevention. He does have" dry eye" in one of his eyes and requires daily drops in that eye. He is housetrained and crate trained. He gets along with other dogs and doesn't pay much attention to the cat at his foster home. He loves his daily belly rubs! He is an excellent walking partner in the park! Will is eager to find his new loving home.....could it be yours?

Will Update June 2008

Date: Friday, June 6, 2008, 9:54 AM

Before

June 6th, 2008

I was giving Will his bath...he has to have a bath in a special shampoo 2-3 times a week... and I was noticing all of the hair that was growing back on his head. My husband took pictures and we did a before and after so you could see the difference in his condition. Hair is growing back all over his little body. He now has white feet and legs and white on his chest and the rest of him looks as if he will be a reddish color. He is one of the most affectionate dogs that I've ever fostered. I'm afraid I'm spoiling him. He loves to play fetch now and could lay with me on the couch for hours for a belly rub! I've almost taught him to roll over! Smart guy!!!

Thanks again for everything that you've done to help Will.

Marsha and Will Rogers

Will update May 2008

He is doing very good! The staff at the vet's office could not believe the personality change in him. His tail was wagging and he was wanting to give everyone kisses at the office. He is truly a trooper! We still have a long way to go, but at least we are on our way. He has some other health issues that were addressed today, but I think we can overcome those too! I forgot to mention in the previous email that I sent out, that Will had been shot...not sure with what, but I did ask the vet about this today. She said that as long as he is walking OK, we won't worry about the bullet right now. We will be monitoring him though. I took Will to the park for a walk this past week and he had a blast. He walks so good on a leash. Except for all of his health issues, he is the perfect little doggie. He still scratches and bites himself, but not as bad as he was. Every day, I see signs of a happy little Beagle Boy coming through. I am so thankful to each and every one of you for helping Will and I know, if he could, he would give you a doggie kiss to let you know how happy and thankful he is! I will continue to send out updates.
Thank You and Bless You All!
Marsha and Will Rogers

First set of photos

I'm writing this email this evening on behalf of my new friend and foster, Will. I have attached pictures of him. I got a call a week or so ago from a lady that had gotten my phone number in hopes that I could help her with some dogs that had been "put out" where she lives. The lady said she needed help with 4 puppies and a beagle mix. She sent pictures of the animals and when I saw the beagle mix's condition, I had to help him! It is hard to tell what breed of dog that he is, he has almost NO hair. His skin is covered in sores and is severely infected. The lady had tried to care for him and the puppies, but she was not able to care for them financially any longer. Most of you know beagles and beagle mixes are near and dear to my heart! I had to help this little guy. I stayed awake all night after I had seen his picture thinking about him and how I could help him. I have animals myself and am not able to take on anymore, but I had to find help for this dog!!! I contacted a local rescue to see if they would help me with the finances involved in getting this dog to a vet. I got the OK from the rescue group and he was taken to the vet. His diagnosis is a severe case of demodectic mange. The vet said he is the poster dog for a dog with demodectic mange. The vet also said it was one of the worst cases that he had seen. I named this dog Will because of his strong will to survive. Even though his little body is covered in sores and he does nothing but scratch constantly he will still wag his little tail and give you kisses. It kills me to touch him. I can only imagine what pain he is enduring. He is such a sweet dog. I have made a promise to Will that I will help him recover from this and he will never know pain and suffering again. His prognosis is that it will take about 6 months to get him back in shape with a whole lot of TLC and medications. I'm going to provide the TLC and I'm hoping you will help provide assistance towards his vet bills so that I can get Will back to being a healthy, happy beagle boy!

PLEASE , if you can help by making a donation either directly to his vet or to the rescue group that is helping me by taking him into their rescue program. The rescue group is Ruff Love Rescue(THANK YOU SUE ROGERS) and the vet is Blue Flint Animal Hospital. I will put the information for you to donate at the end. Please earmark all donations for Will. I will be sending updates on his progress and you can view them on Ruff Love's website.

Thank You So Much For Taking The Time To Read This!

Marsha Rogers and Will Rogers

Blue Flint Animal Hospital
1527 Zoo Parkway
Asheboro, NC 27205
Earmark for Will

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