We’ve been very busy at OFSDS and I want to give you all some updates. Today, I am going to focus on some of the Old Friends who are in our “Reception” area.
The Reception area is used for many different purposes, the laundry is attached, the sink is there for twice daily dish washing, Zina’s desk is there, and we have our meeting table which is also used as a storage spot for purses, lunches and other items that collect there.
There is always a lot of activity in the Reception area, it is near our Shoppe and the front door. The most important use of the Reception area is for some of our Old Friends who are transitioning from intake to the main group and for some who are a little frailer than others and need a quieter atmosphere than the larger main area with its many rooms. We can also keep a better eye on dogs with special health issues.
Some of the dogs who you know from the Gathering room cameras are now living in the Reception area. Maxx, a white Rat Terrier, had a bad run of health for the past few months including a spider bite that healed and, more recently, had some very serious heart issues that require him to be watched closely. The slower pace of the Reception area has worked out well for him.
Maxx
Sophie, who, at about 17 years old, is probably the oldest dog at the Sanctuary, just needed a quieter place to relax. She is doing very well in the Reception area. Some of the others that you might know are Coco, who gets along much better in a quieter group, especially without her arch enemy, Pebbles (we don’t know what led them do dislike one another so). Ponce de Leon, who is blind and deaf, is much more content without all of the activity around him. He stopped circling once he moved to Reception. Dallas, who is in kidney failure, needs to be watched more closely and is doing well with his friends in reception. Rocco spends his days moving between Reception and Dr. G’s office as he tends to cause trouble…
Ponce de Leon
Dallas
Rocco (Look close, he’s in there)
A few dogs are in the Gathering area for temporary visits. Currently, Florence is in the Reception area because she is in heat (we can’t always tell and, if we’re not sure, we would rather wait for a heat cycle than do unnecessary surgery) and is driving the boys nuts. Edna is temporarily in Reception until we can hopefully, through medication and acupuncture, help her to become steadier.
Florence
Some of the Old Friends in reception have always been and will always live there. Maybell, a golden lab mix, has mobility problems that make her very slow and unsteady. She is safer in Reception where she can’t get knocked over so easily. Tammy, who also has mobility problems, spent some time moving between reception and the main area every day, but she has become less steady on her feet and is doing well as a full time resident now in Reception
Maybell
Edna and Tammy
Another important use that we have for the Reception area is as a transitional home for new dogs in our program as they come out of intake. We recently moved Milo from intake, through Reception, and he is now in the main dog area. It gives the new Old Friends a chance to get used to being around other dogs and it gives us a chance to get to know the personalities and quirks of the newbies before they join the main group. At this time we have a few new dogs in Reception. We have Dash, a shih-tzu, Gabby, a brown cocker spaniel, Gabriel, an energetic guy, and Gretchen, a sweet ol’ black lab mix. As some of these new dogs move out into the main group, others from intake will take their place. We currently have some great new Old Friends in intake, including two bonded pairs and a sweet Pomeranian mix.
Gabriel
On a sad note, Darby, who many of you know from the Gathering Room camera, passed away in his sleep two nights ago. He was a sweet guy who has been with us for almost a year. We will miss him.
Darby
As you can now tell, the Reception area is a very important part of the Sanctuary. Lots of action every day. Overall, we have 7200 square feet of space that provides many areas for our Old Friends, as well as medical area, kitchen, storage and our gift Shoppe. Every space has more than one purpose and you can usually find at least a dog or two wherever you are….
Tune in for more weekly blog posts from Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary here!
