This handsome older gentleman hides a past we can only guess at, behind his wide grin. He was picked up off of the side of the road in Northern Manitoba and it did not look good for him until he was snatched up by a local rescue angel, put on a transport, and came to us here in Calgary. He was scheduled to be euthanized that very day, but a kind lady saw a golden soul with more life to live. He traveled all night and arrived early on the morning of Sept 7th. He came out of the location limping and smiling, and after a quick debrief, it was off to go get spoiled! After a few days of decompression, his Vet surgery and check were scheduled and we were all going to get a bit more information about Baloo.

The X-rays told a sad tale. He had been used for target practice with a BB gun and has two still embedded in his body. One in his side, another in his back leg. His front left paw was badly broken at some point and left to heal on its own. His age has been put by the Vet as “over 10, easily”, and his back is riddled with arthritis. He has broken teeth (now removed after his dental). A plan was devised to make his remaining time more manageable. Baloo is on Carthrophen injections and daily pain management to keep him comfortable and will require his family to continue through his days.

Despite what we suspect about his story, his heart still has so much love to give and to receive. He wants to love everyone, wants to meet everyone, and wins over every person we meet. “He’s so friendly”, and “he’s so sweet”, they say as he leans into their legs. He is currently being spoiled rotten by his foster family while we await the final decision on where he will spend the remainder of his days.

This refined gentleman is polite with people of all ages, good with the dogs he has met, and the resident cat. This old man really just wants to be a pampered floor potato with short, leisurely strolls with lots of sniffy spots. He does walk with a pronounced limp but it doesn’t stop him from enjoying the simple things in life.

Baloo is estimated to be 12+ years. As previously stated, he will require management with continued daily pain meds and regularly scheduled Cartrophen injections to keep his remaining days comfortable. We don’t know how long he has but aside from the toll a hard life has taken on his body, his other checkups and bloodwork all came back and he appears to be in tip-top shape for his age. He is heartworm negative, vaccinated, neutered, microchipped, and had a recent dental to remove broken teeth. His adoption fee is by donation. We would love to find our grandpa a cozy bed and a fireplace with a loving family to spend with for his first winter as an indoor, spoiled family member.