# Rosie is going to boot camp.



## SilverBeat (Jan 16, 2011)

I have thought a lot about this, since I started volunteering at the dog rescue. 
We have a senior beagle/hound mix named Rosie. I say senior because she acts like she is 16, not 6. I have only known her for 3 months but man oh man, do I feel sorry for her. She's been at the rescue since the early summer of '10. When she came in, this is what she looked like: Petfinder Adoptable Dog | Hound | Manlius, NY | Rosie (second photo)
You don't want to see a photo of her now. She is a meatball with paws [not legs, just paws]. She is SO FAT.. she's probably gained 15-20lbs since that photo. She NEEDS a foster home so bad, they are just killing her at the rescue! Some days she doesn't go out for a single walk. The other dogs go out 4-6 times a day.
So I've decided, IF she's still there at the end of March [please please let someone get her into a foster home...!], and IF I can get transportation for me, my future pooch, and Miss Rosie, she'll be coming up to the farm with me for 2 weeks or so, and I'm going to do everything in my power to improve her quality of life by twentyfold.

...here come the fat jokes: Anybody got a flatbed I can borrow?

My personal favorites: "Amy, you hold the door while Miriam and I roll her out."

[from a potential adopter's son:] "The dog we were walking is sleeping in the parking lot!"


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## Mia (Oct 4, 2010)

I think it is wonderful you want to help. Don't let anyone discourage you. When I brought one of my labs home he was like a marshmallow. Honestly. I was so worried about his weight. Now he is lean and slender. Beautiful dog. Keep your chin up. I will keep you in my prayers that you get this pup! Certainly needs it.


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

It makes me fuming angry that a rescue would allow her to become so grotesquely overweight. They should know better. The people I work with are the same way and I haven't been able to talk a bit of sense into them. We have a chihuahua/peke mix who's been here for MONTHS and is at least twice as heavy as he should be because they give these dogs fast food as treats. Even worse, one of the people here (pretty much the ringleader of the junk feeding) wants to adopt him and take him home to her pack of obese dogs that don't get the slightest bit of exercise. I imagine he'll double in size. 

But I digress...

Good for you. That poor girl needs you!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

It's awesome you're helping her....kudos to you!!! You should post peogress photos of her weight loss :thumb:


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

Awww poor thing. We have siamese cat right now for adoption whom we've had for quite a while and he is a little butterball....he is about 14# and should probably be 8#, we have him on a diet and he is slowly losing...he just LOVES food too darn much. Ironically his name is Pipsqueak lol.


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## SilverBeat (Jan 16, 2011)

RachelsaurusRexU said:


> It makes me fuming angry that a rescue would allow her to become so grotesquely overweight. They should know better.


Really, that's the part that gets me. It makes me so angry to see them feed her peanut butter crackers, cheetos, pizza, cupcakes, potato chips... and then they just laugh it off like it's nothing! The fact that she's a senior dog makes it hard enough on her to be in a rescue and trying to get adopted--making her morbidly obese is NOT helping! Who wants to fork over $200 for the canine version of a beanbag chair?

There is another dog there, a lab mix, who has been "adopted" by one of the volunteers, and she is huge too [the volunteer openly admits that she "spoils her rotten."]

I think I am going to feed her a good-quality grain-free kibble [Chicken Soup or something similar] and maybe some raw. I don't even want to know what she weighs... :fear:


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## Mia (Oct 4, 2010)

Whatever you DO decide. Pup is right where she needs to be :smile:


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

SilverBeat said:


> Really, that's the part that gets me. It makes me so angry to see them feed her peanut butter crackers, cheetos, pizza, cupcakes, potato chips... and then they just laugh it off like it's nothing! The fact that she's a senior dog makes it hard enough on her to be in a rescue and trying to get adopted--making her morbidly obese is NOT helping! Who wants to fork over $200 for the canine version of a beanbag chair?
> 
> There is another dog there, a lab mix, who has been "adopted" by one of the volunteers, and she is huge too [the volunteer openly admits that she "spoils her rotten."]
> 
> I think I am going to feed her a good-quality grain-free kibble [Chicken Soup or something similar] and maybe some raw. I don't even want to know what she weighs... :fear:


Ughhhhh I feel your pain. I can't wrap my head around why they think that's acceptable. It sincerely upsets me. 

I can't wait until you foster her and we can all see her progress! You're going to make such a huge difference in this dog's life!


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

How could they do that? To think a dog *rescue* would allow the condition of their dogs to worsen rather than improve *sigh*.


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## SilverBeat (Jan 16, 2011)

I wanted to update this thread... Rosie WAS going to boot camp but unfortunately life got in the way. So we will have to work around it. 

Instead I will be taking her for a daycation from the rescue next week. She can lay in the grass in my backyard as much as she wants. She can chew on chewies and not be bothered by the other senior dogs in her room. She can play with toys if she wants to! [in the senior room they can't have chewies or treats because they pick fights over them, even if everyone has one]. I'll give her a nice mani/pedi and perhaps even a bath. And I'll clean her ears..
My mom really likes Rosie and when I tentatively brought this up she was pretty enthusiastic about the idea. So hopefully it can become a regular thing. 
Here is a more recent photo of her [compare to the one in my original post]


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

why don't you volunteer to feed and exercise
Rosie???? i take it you work at the Rescue.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

SilverBeat I know what your going through. The Shelter I volunteer at does the same thing. I'm always on the gal that feeds the dogs to feed less. We are trying to get them to feed a better food and I'm going to try and make a deal with her that if she will feed less maybe they will get a better food.

Also I am in the boat you are in there is a Basset/Red bone mix that I fostered about 9 years ago came back in and I'm thinking of getting her back. She is so fat it makes me so mad. She was originally a hunting dog so I know she loves to work. I took her for a walk last week and she was so happy. Shes not a big fan of other dogs so am a bit worried about her and the Turdle getting along. Oh what to do?


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