An Update On Marley The Rescue

By Kristy McCaffrey

Another year with our sweet boy Marley has flown by, so I wanted to let you all know how he was doing. Since I shared the details of his rescue in my post from last January – Marley The Rescue – I won’t rehash it here. (Click the link in case you missed it.)

We’ve had Marley for two years and he’s doing well. His age is still a mystery. My husband, youngest daughter and I frequently try to guess (maybe 12 or 13 years old?), but the truth is we have no idea. His body moves like an old man, but his mind and temperament are full of the verve and excitement of a much younger dog.

Marley on his Gotcha Day, January 2, 2019.
We consider this his birthday.

At first he didn't like the car, but now he enjoys
going for a ride.

Marley will often take his stuffies outside with him.

He frequently sleeps perfectly inside the boundaries
of his bed, probably a remnant of his time in a cage.

He’s a creature of habit and loves his routine. Each morning, my husband rises very early and let’s Marley and our 12-year-old chocolate lab, Lily, outside for bathroom duties. After that, they return to our bedroom (Marley on a dog bed on the floor and Lily in bed with me) until a I awake a few hours later. They’re always very excited when I head to the kitchen since that means it’s time for a small breakfast. They also receive their medication—Lily for low thyroid and valley fever (the unfortunate circumstance of living in the desert) and Marley for his bad hips. A year ago the veterinarian showed me an x-ray of Marley’s pelvic region and regrettably it’s bone on bone. He receives pain medicine, glucosamine supplements, and CBD oil twice daily. I want to make him as comfortable as I can without drugging him to the point where he sleeps all day. While I don’t know exactly how he feels, or how much pain he might be experiencing, he appears more relaxed and happier now. He still can’t walk far, but he enjoys his time outside and loves to sit and enjoy the fresh air, the birds, and the sunshine. Luckily Arizona has more than its share of sunny days.

Early last year the vet discovered that Marley’s prostate was enlarged. This was, as you can imagine, very concerning. Our first step was to have him neutered, something I hadn’t planned to do (I didn’t see the point – he was too old to go carousing) but we hoped that this was the cause of the enlargement. Thankfully, it was! Since the procedure, he’s had no further problems with this issue.

We know little of what his life was like before we got him except that he’d been caged in the months leading up to our finding him. The state of his teeth, however, has told us a different story. Unfortunately, the vet had to pull two of his canines, top and bottom on the same side, because of abscesses. There were notches in the teeth indicative of extreme cage chewing, something that had likely gone on for a long time, longer than we’d initially been told. It broke my heart to pull those teeth, but I hope that his mouth feels much better now. He’s been a real trooper through these extractions. He never lets anything stand in the way of mealtime. Or treat time. Or food-of-any-kind time.

He’s very playful. He loves his stuffed animals and collects them on his dog bed. It’s quite adorable. He loves chew bones. He loves any type of treat, actually, so I have to be careful with his weight since he’s not able to exercise anymore. He enjoys playing with Lily (it took many months for him to feel comfortable with her), and the two of them are now good buddies. They especially enjoy the timeless game of ‘steal the bone.’

Halloween 2019.
Lily was a shark and Marley was a stegosaurus.

Over the holidays our family went on a ski vacation and we left Lily and Marley with my mom and dad. He knows them well, along with their three dogs, and he’s previously been to their house, but leaving him was still difficult. My mom said he was depressed for the first few days and wouldn’t eat any treats. I was so sad that he might have been thinking we’d gotten rid of him, but once he became accustomed to the new routine, my mom said it got better. Still, we were so happy to return home, give him a big hug, and get him settled back into the groove he’s come to rely upon.

When I rescued him two years ago, I had no idea how long we would have with him, and I’ll admit that I never anticipated having two years with him. But he’s happy, alert, and still curious about the world. The last two years have been a blessing, and my family and I cherish each day forward we have with him.

Marley has an Instagram account which my daughter and I run together. I hope you'll check it out: marley_therescue.