Celebrating Senior Pets at Milwaukee Paws!

All of us at Milwaukee Paws Pet Care have been so grateful to provide high-quality pet care and services to all the dogs and pets we serve. With that in mind, we want to recognize some of the senior pets we have cared for. We recognize that senior pets often require additional and more attentive care in addition to possible medications and other adaptive services. We can’t imagine our Milwaukee Paws Pet Care family without these special senior pups being a part of it! Our sweet Emma, Buddy, and Charlie are all amazing dogs who have made a huge impact on who we are here at Milwaukee Paws Pet Care. We appreciate them and their families for opening up their homes and their hearts to let us care for their pets and their families’ needs. Senior animals will always hold a special place in our Paws family, so thank you all for allowing us to be a part of your families!

If you have a senior pup or any pet who needs special services or extra care, please reach out! We are experienced in caring for animals with a wide array of needs, including special physical or nutritional needs, among others. We are proud to provide individualized services, and we would be happy to speak with you about how we can best serve you and your pet family!

Emma

We met Emma and her owners, Donna and Donald, at a “Yappy Hour” that Milwaukee Paws Pet Care sponsored with a local community. Emma is a special girl and is a rescue pup who is 14 years young, as her owner tells us!

Emma came to her new owners about four years ago after being surrendered by her original owners to a rescue (the original owners needed to move to an assisted living facility and could not take Emma with them). As fate would have it, Emma was fostered by a good friend of her current owner, Donna. Donna had just suffered an accident that left her with a fractured elbow and shoulder. Donna was not able to drive or do too much, and her friend thought she could use Emma for companionship. It was a match made in heaven!

Her owner shared with us, “Emma came along at a very low point in my life. With the medical issues I was having four years ago, I was very depressed. We joke about who rescued whom,” Donna said, “but she has added joy to our lives.” And that joy is clear and evident to anyone who sees Emma with her owners! Their connection is truly special.

Donna tells us, “Emma is a sweet girl who often greets us from her favorite spot on the back of the couch. She is very friendly but has never really played with toys,” Donna says. “Don’t let that fool you, though. Her personality is larger than life, and she knows how loved she is!” Emma has really taken to her loving forever family, though, too, and enjoys giving love in return! Donna shared with us that when Emma first came to their home, she was not affectionate at all. Over time, though, Emma has opened up her own heart and comes up to her “Momma” and wants to sit on her lap and be cuddled! Emma’s owners also joke that Emma thinks she is really a cat; Emma loves cats, and her vocalizations sometimes sound more like meows than barks! And just like many cats, her favorite sunning spot is the back of the couch!

When we at Milwaukee Paws Pet Care first met Emma, we were told that she is shy and takes time to warm up to people she doesn’t know. To help make Emma feel as comfortable as possible, Dawn and Caroline went over to do visits together the first two weeks. Since they would be the ones to walk Emma and work with her, we wanted to give Emma as much time as she needed to get used to being with these new “friends.” Thankfully, we were so happy to see that Emma warmed up quickly to them, and before long Emma showed them her lovable side and let them into her heart! She is so lovable and sweet that both Dawn and Caroline have loved coming to see her since the very beginning!

When asked how Milwaukee Paws Pet Care has helped Emma and her owners, Donna shared this: “We both have very demanding jobs and felt bad about Emma being home all day and needing to go outside. Dawn told me about Milwaukee Paws and the services they provided and we were sold. Emma, being a senior dog, sometimes has accidents so we have had to start using doggy diapers. Caroline and Dawn have been great about putting them on her, and they can be tricky! In the winter they turn a light on for her so she isn’t in the dark,” Donna shared. “The biggest part is that Emma loves Caroline and Dawn,” she added. “They are very caring people.”

All of us at Milwaukee Paws Pet Care have a passion for helping pets of all ages, sizes and breeds, and we feel honored to be the ones to help care for Emma and take her for a dog walk multiple times a week. Her primary walker, Caroline, shared this about her time with Emma: “Emma is such a sweetheart. She was so nervous at first when I started taking care of her, and she wouldn’t let me touch her. But now she comes to me when I call her and we love playing together after her walk. She gets the “zoomies” when we come back in, because she knows I give her a treat! What a doll!”

Thank you, Emma, for being part of the Milwaukee Paws Pet Care family! We are so happy and thankful that you have opened your heart and your home to let us be a part of your life!

Buddy

All of us at Milwaukee Paws Pet Care have continually been blessed with some amazing animals and families we have helped care for. But when we think of all the senior pets we have worked with over the years, we can’t imagine not talking about our sweet pup, Buddy! While Buddy is certainly no longer a pup, he still is young at heart!

You know how they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Well, then perhaps “they” haven’t met Buddy! While Buddy was adopted by the sister of his current owners when he was just four months old, his current owners, Ruth and Chris, were lucky enough to take over his care when he was just 1 ½! And even after Buddy had turned seven years old, his forever family was able to teach him “new” tricks at an “older” age!

Have you seen a dog play “dead”?  Buddy never had, until he was taught this new trick when he was around seven years old! Buddy has always been a smart pup and caught on quickly that playing this game well would likely lead him to being rewarded with some sweet treats!

“Bang!”
Buddy: Lays on floor, plays dead, and covers his face with his paws.

It doesn’t get much cuter than that! (We just wish you could have seen Buddy in action!)

While Buddy may not be the best “protector” in the event of a real shoot-out, we are confident that Buddy is still an amazing “protector” to his family. His owner, Ruth, shared with us, “One year when I had the worst flu, I was pretty much useless for a few days,” she said. “Buddy never left my side and stayed close to me until I got better,” Ruth added.

Ruth recalls that while Buddy can be a bit anxious at times, he is a “total sweetheart,” and just loves getting his cuddles and kisses while cuddling on the couch. Just as we have seen in his learning abilities, he is still a “puppy at heart,” and is very “playful and hyper” while everyone is always surprised when they find out his age!

While most pups don’t love the sounds and sights of scary things like thunderstorms and fireworks, Buddy is no different, as even in his elder years he has not taken a liking to them; however, our sweet Buddy has his own special quirks about him and will always be one special pup to us and his owners! Ruth and Chris shared with us that Buddy will occasionally “turn his front paw upside down so he has a small cushion for his snout during naps.” And to be even cuter, “when he gets really excited, his tail will go in circles rather than side-to-side!”

Buddy’s amazing qualities and quirks don’t end there, though. When asked about a special memory she has shared with Buddy over the years, Ruth recalled when they went on a two-week long road trip together out west. “On this trip, he tackled a 7-mile hike at nine years old at Chocolate Gulch in Sun Valley, Idaho!” She adds that she and Buddy “snuck” a quick picture in front of Mt. Rushmore… even though dogs weren’t allowed! Nine years old, and still causing mischief! But what incredible memories they have shared together!

When Ruth was asked about her time and relationship with Buddy, she said, “Buddy is very much a part of the family, and I can’t imagine life without him. He will always brighten up your day with his very excited and enthusiastic greetings when you come home,” she added. “He is devoted, loyal and protective of those he loves.”

We couldn’t agree more! While Buddy has more recently experienced some cognitive decline and signs of Alzheimer’s disease, we have never doubted his abilities and strengths he has shown to us and to Ruth. When asked about how Milwaukee Paws Pet Care has helped Ruth support the care of Buddy, she says, “Milwaukee Paws Pet Care staff have been amazing with our fur babies! They have been there during a recent family emergency and took such great care of our pets that at least it was one less thing we had to worry about.”  Ruth added, “We felt very comfortable and supported whenever our schedules were unpredictable” and “we felt very secure knowing the animals were being well taken care of by this staff” as “there was always special attention to Buddy when he would get very anxious,” she continued. Even on his “bad days,” she said, “I know he very much appreciated the extra care shown to him.”

We couldn’t argue with Ruth; Buddy is one special pup who deserves all that special care, and we have been so thankful to be able to provide Buddy and his owners the care and support they deserve! Thank you, Buddy, for reminding us that we are all young at heart, and age is just a number! We’re so happy to have you a part of our Paws Pet Care family!

Charlie

When we think of the senior pets we help care for, we can’t forget our loving, sweet Charlie Benmont! Charlie is one sweet senior pup who is surrounded by fun-loving siblings, Adeline Greyhame (dog) and Isabel the Longshanks (cat). While we call Charlie by his name, his loving family say he also goes by “Bubba,” “Charlie Gator,” or “Little Orange Jacket.” We sure love the pet names you give your pets and the stories to go with them, (although that’s for another time)!

Charlie Benmont came to his owners, Sara and Zach, as a rescue; he came by way of an English Setter Rescue from Florida after an amazing foster mom named Kristina from Minnesota had cared for him. It wasn’t long until Charlie ended up in his new forever home here in Wisconsin in September of 2016; he was estimated to be around eight years old at that time, so our sweet Charlie is approximately eleven years old now!

While each dog has their own quirks, Charlie likes to keep things fun and slightly taunting! One of his special quirks, according to his owner, is to unmake a completely made-up bed! Those pillows! Charlie just has to get at them!  His owner, Sara, also says Charlie gets so excited for treats that “he will go from jumping to sitting in one motion!” We love seeing how individual each pet can be, and it doesn’t end with behaviors! Sara adds that when Charlie needs to burp, he will “howl like a hound and throw a fit!” Charlie, we feel you, bud. Getting that extra air out isn’t fun, right? Even dogs aren’t immune to feeling frustrated and maybe even a bit bloated! While that may sound a bit unbelievable, our sweet Charlie had to undergo emergency surgery due to bloating; his stomach needed to be fixed, and his spleen needed to be removed. Sounds like an intensive surgery, but being the cool dog that he is, Charlie was back home after 36 hours, acting as if nothing had ever happened! Way to be a trooper, Charlie!

When asked about Charlie’s personality, Sara and Zach say that Charlie “loves without no sense of self-preservation.” Sara added, “He loves to be touching his people, including nestling into my chest with all his 45 pounds. He will also try to dive headfirst into a hot oven after food!” Yikes, Charlie! We are thankful you have such loyal, loving humans to watch over you, too!

When looking back at some touching moments that Sara has had with Charlie over the years, it actually begins with their first moments together. When Sara went to pick up Charlie from his foster mom and they were meeting for the very first time, Charlie “jumped in the back of my car without hesitation and immediately fell asleep. The only time he woke on the six-hour drive was when I stopped at a fast food drive through.” Charlie, you sure found your forever home, and it sounds like you knew it then, too.

When we asked Sara about how Charlie makes her feel as a pet owner and family member, Sara said, “Charlie makes us feel patient and gentle. Adopting a senior dog can be tough, but is very much worth it.”

We couldn’t agree with her more! Charlie is one wonderful pup who reminds us how much the world has to offer each of us individually, no matter our age and abilities. All of us at Milwaukee Paws Pet Care look forward to continuing to care for Charlie and accommodating to his individual needs. He reminds us all how “it’s not about the destination, it’s all about the journey” that gets us there.

Thank you to all of our senior pups who remind us how special each moment is in our lives. We are proud and thankful to be a part of your pups’ lives and look forward to continuing to serve and meet your pet’s needs!