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.

Marley The Rescue

By Kristy McCaffrey

Happy 2019! One year ago today, my family and I rescued an older dog named Marley. I thought I would share my story with you all.

Marley

I’ve always been a dog person. My heart is forged with memories of my canine companions throughout my life: Rommell, Raquel, Buckwheat, Chaco, Shiva, Sparky. Gone but never forgotten. One thing I had never done, however, was rescue a dog in jeopardy. I’d thought about it, of course. Like many of you, I’m an empathic person, which is probably why I like to write stories, but it was that very trait that always filled me with anxiety just thinking about visiting the pound or a rescue shelter. The suffering of so many is a crushing reality that is difficult to bear some days.

Rommell

Raquel

Buckwheat and Rommell

Chaco

  

In October 2017, we lost our beloved chocolate Labrador, Ranger. Although he’d had health issues for a number of years, his loss was still sudden and devastating. One week after his 13^th birthday, we were forced to put him down from a broken leg due to bone cancer. I wasn’t prepared for the grief that hit me. I had lost dogs before; I knew how it went. But Ranger had been different. I had promised him I would take care of him. In the end, though, I couldn’t. Something happens in your soul when you must break a promise—a terrible schism of guilt.

Ranger

My husband and I had long talked of rescuing older dogs, knowing how difficult it was for these animals to find a loving home, but it’s a bittersweet goal—just when you bond with them you’re likely to lose them. But if I’ve learned anything while raising four children, it’s this: you must do what is best for them, not what’s best for you. I knew this was also true when it came to helping a dog in need.

Last January, my husband traveled to Finland to help our oldest daughter move to Helsinki for a semester abroad. While I was home on my own, I watched the news one evening, and a very brief story about several dogs needing a home caught my eye. The owner was about to be evicted and the animals would be sent to the pound. The prospects for an older male Labrador mutt weren’t good. The next morning, I called the man trying to help re-home the dogs. He ran a local animal rescue in the Phoenix area, but this wasn’t a normal rescue situation. If I could come immediately to pick up the dog, he would give him to me. I jumped into the car and went, feeling trepidation at driving alone into an unknown neighborhood in downtown Phoenix, but something compelled me.

When I met Marley, I knew he had a strong will to live. The woman who had previously owned him had died ten months prior, and it was her daughter who was desperately trying to find a home for him. Her mother had had such a soft spot for animals that she’d regularly picked up strays off the streets. Marley had been such a stray, born somewhere on the streets of Phoenix, so his age was unknown (the estimate was between 9-12 years old). The daughter had had 24 canines to find homes for, and Marley was one of the last. She’d been doing the best she could to care for him, but Marley was undernourished with overgrown toenails and hadn’t been to the veterinarian in years. I put him in my car and drove him home.

Marley right after I put him in my car. He really
took it all in stride, I have to say.

That first week was tough. Marley was sweet and quite affectionate, but it was a new home with a new routine and I had to work diligently with him. I got him to the vet immediately and we addressed the most pressing issues (the toenails, bloodwork, vaccinations, etc.). But he was too weak for a tooth cleaning. He also wasn’t neutered, although at his advanced age I wasn’t certain I would proceed with it anyway. I also sobbed frequently because bringing Marley home had triggered a new wave of despair over losing Ranger. It took me a bit to work through that. I also sent my husband—still in Finland—a long and heartfelt email explaining what I’d done and begging him not to be upset with me. His response was so supportive that I wept over that, too. I married the right guy.

Initially, I fed Marley three times a day.

Eventually, he gained weight and embraced his new life of freedom (he’d been crated for much of the year before he was rescued, and possibly longer). We have a dog door, so he quickly mastered going into the backyard whenever he wanted. He has arthritis, but he’s gained stamina with frequent short walks, and later I put him on a low dose of pain medication to manage his discomfort. He enjoys treats and toys, and although he initially had little interest in playing with our other dog, Lily, they have slowly become buddies. But Marley generally prefers us to be nearby if he plays with her. His bouts of anxiety have, thankfully, lessened over time (we discovered that he really likes to chew slippers when he's stressed, so Santa brought him a new pair in his stocking for Christmas - he loved them!).

Marley and me on Christmas morning.

I don’t know how much time we’ll have with Marley, but I’m content knowing that we’re giving him a peaceful and secure life in his twilight years, filled with fresh air, sunshine, plenty of food, snuggles and kisses.

Follow Marley's adventures  on Instagram at @marley_therescue.

Marley and Lily