In August 2013 Nanna was abandoned by her previous owners, chained to the gates of Wollondilly Pound in the middle of the night, in the middle of winter. Nanna was in a shocking state physically – incredibly thin, matted and filthy, very arthritic, incontinent and suffering from a serious bladder infection. But it was her mental state that was more concerning. This was a dog with a totally broken spirit. She was completely shut down emotionally.
Nanna was busted out of the Pound after a couple of days, and transported to Paws For Thought Rescue, where she immediately received the care she needed, including huge amounts of love and attention. She had to sleep outside to start with, due to her smell and terrible incontinence. But she had the most beautiful soft bed with warm blankets, hot water bottles and was very happy snuggled up on the verandah. Very slowly, she began to respond to the attention she was receiving. She was bathed, clipped, given veterinary treatment, the first proper food she had probably ever had, and most importantly, she was shown love and respect. Not long after Nanna arrived at PFT, we put in an application to adopt her, which was approved by Mrs PFT! So the following weekend, my husband and I drove 10 hours from Melbourne to collect her. The long journey home was the perfect bonding time – I sat in the back of the car with her and stroked her or held her the whole way. By the time we got home she was my shadow.
The first day of Spring, 1 September 2013, was Nanna’s first day with her new family….how apt! Her fur-brothers Cody, Boomy and Enzo all accepted her immediately, and she has become a very important part of our family. She has the very best Vet care from her “boyfriend” Dr David at Cheltenham Vet, and her other “boyfriend” Dr Brendan, her osteopath; her incontinence is completely controlled, she is on ongoing medication for her arthritis, and she gets her favourite food “chicky-licky” every night. Outings to the beach, cuddles with friends and family, walks in the park and special Mummy/Nanna time are all part of her life now. We have a lot of lost time to make up and we want to ensure the time she has with us is filled with the experiences all dogs should have.
So many people fell in love with Nanna and followed her progress during her time at Paws For Thought Rescue. The beautiful comments written about her, the love people sent and the joy expressed by so many when she found her Forever Home was nothing short of amazing. The “Nanna’s Journey” Facebook Page was created to keep all of her beloved friends and extended Paws For Thought family up-to-date on her new life – one that is filled with love, cuddles, warm beds, full tummies and not a care in the world! If you would like to follow Nanna, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nannas-Journey/315932161883944
Mummy-Nanna xx