Valentino

#13-027 Valentino, age 6 1/2

Weight: 65 pounds

AVAILABILITY TBA

Heartworm Positive

He arrived in GRR care on St Valentine’s Day (hence the romantic name), but this good-looking red boy had been living on his wits for quite a while before that. A nice lady coming to clear out her mom’s house to prepare it for sale noticed the lanky guy hanging around, and soon found out that he was a prime candidate for rescue, because:

 (1) He didn’t belong to anyone in the neighborhood; and

(2) He’d been wandering the area for a while. She promptly corralled him in the backyard for a few days, trying to figure out how best to help him, but:

(3) He began getting out and roaming. “Now I am afraid he’ll either get hit by a car or picked up by animal control. Can you help right away?”

 Since Valentino clearly needed medical attention (he had a grape-sized tumor on his eye), he went straight to the vet & then did his stray hold at his foster home (lucky dog!).

Here’s his foster mom’s report:

 I lost my golden of nearly 13 years in December.   Jacki had been talking to me about fostering,  and when she mentioned that Valentino needed a place to stay, I was ready to say “yes.”  I headed to the clinic on February 16^th to pick up my new houseguest. As I was sitting in the waiting room, around the corner came Valentino.  He ran right up to me and placed his paws (which are huge) on my chest and stared into my eyes as if to say, “Why did it take you so long to find me?” On the way home he was so quiet in the car and seemed to enjoy the ride.  No jumping or whining.

 I have four cats at home, so of course I was a bit apprehensive about how he’d do with them.  Initially he chased them, and they prudently decided not to come indoors (who can blame them?). However, one of the kitties soon got a little tired of the canine intruder’s rude behavior, so when Valentino started to chase, he was treated to a loud hiss and good swat.  Later, I noticed them sniffing each other’s noses (kissing?).  Not sure if that cured him of chasing for good, but after a week went by, the other cats ventured indoors again. Now, Valentino walks into the living room each morning and checks the cats one by one as they are snoozing in their favorite chairs. They open  their eyes and just yawn.

Valentino loves to play ball. My 7-year-old neighbor comes over to play with him, and he is so friendly and gentle with her!  In fact, he’s friendly to everyone he meets, and offers his paw for a “handshake.” He loves being petted and insists on more; when I’m at the computer using the mouse, he puts his paw under my hand to move it back to “petting mode.” However, if I let him know it’s time to stop, he’ll lie down.

 He’s a smart fellow who knows most of his commands. He knows where his bed is, too, and goes there for naps. He loves to walk and needs just a bit of nudging when he wants to pull or stray from the path. It was on one of our walks that I began to notice that that Valentino can be anxious about other dogs; when a neighbor approached with his dog, Valentino barked and got aggressive. That won’t do, so he and I are now scheduled for training to help him relax & socialize well with other dogs. Who knows what he encountered during his life on the streets?  But I think he’s a quick study and will do well with his training. In fact, I am considering adopting him after we have completed the program! I am really happy to have him as my foster Golden.

Adoption Procedures