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Dear PoPville – Need home for retired guide dog Missy

Dear PoPville,

I have a friend who is looking for a home for her retired guide dog, Missy. Missy is 12 years old and a bit overweight, but really sweet and great with kids and other pets. She’s also well trained. I would take her if I could, but I’m already at the pet limit for my apartment complex.

If you are interested, please email me at estrickland@gmail.

Category: Pets

By: Prince Of Petworth | 16 January 2013 2:30 PM | 16 Comments

es

Thank you for posting!

January 16, 2013 at 2:50 pm
Mindy

Why is she being rehomed?

January 16, 2013 at 2:54 pm
Emily

Don’t the guide dog placement organizations plan for this eventuality? Sad.

January 16, 2013 at 3:00 pm
Anonymous

This is very sad. A guide dog devotes her life for 12 years to better its owner’s quality of life and now is given up? Ridiculous.

January 16, 2013 at 3:03 pm
- Anonymous
  
  maybe the dog is no longer physically able to guide?
  
  January 16, 2013 at 3:09 pm
- caroline
  
  Old dogs are a lot of work to take care of, probably beyond the capabilities of a person that needs a guide dog in the first place.
  
  January 16, 2013 at 3:11 pm
- es
  
  I can see how it would seem awful, but my friend honestly can’t keep her and is pretty devastated about it. The ideal situation would be if I could keep her for my friend, but I can’t so we’re just hoping to find her a good home.
  
  January 16, 2013 at 3:11 pm
- DC Gal
  
  It is very common to have to give up a guide dog when s/he can no longer “work.” One reason is that the new guide dog has a very difficult time learning his/her place and establishing authority when the “retired” guide dog is still in the home.
  
  January 16, 2013 at 4:34 pm
- anono
  
  like most things in life… this situation is probably complicated…
  
  January 17, 2013 at 9:18 am
Anonymous

I understand all this but it is just sad. I would gladly take her but we are moving and our new place has steps galore…wouldn’t work for aging dog. Good luck and I will pass the word along.

January 16, 2013 at 3:22 pm
es

Hi all – a couple of people have sent me links to the lab rescue in our area. I’ve forwarded the info to my friend so she can contact them. It sounds like that would be the safest way to find her a good home. Thanks so much.

January 16, 2013 at 3:50 pm
- soup
  
  The legit guide training organizations provide retirement homes and require adopters to return the dogs to them and it is prohibited to rehome them. Please check on this before making any plans.
  
  January 16, 2013 at 5:48 pm
Anonymous

Has your friend contact the organization that trained/ placed Missy? When I fostered a guide dog puppy, I saw information in their materials about the school looking for “retirement homes” for older dogs.

I assume your friend is getting a new dog? She she talk to the org she’s working with, as well as the previous one, if different. DC Gal is right, the org placing the new dog will want to be sure the new one succeeds, and that might mean getting the older one a new home.

January 16, 2013 at 4:41 pm
anon

I hope Missy finds a good home. I would hesitate taking in an 12-year-old dog because I’d be afraid that I’d get too close to the dog when she probably only has a couple of years left. So you basically get to deal with all of the unpleasant end-of-life problems, then mourn the loss of your pet. I’m glad there are people out there who are more sympathetic than I am.

January 16, 2013 at 5:05 pm
Anon

The life expectancy for a lab is…just looked it up: 10-12 yrs. Seems very sad to give her away at this point.

January 17, 2013 at 9:55 am
Susan

Is she in good health?

January 17, 2013 at 11:58 am