River

Someone loved him once. That much seems clear; he wags his tail for everyone and at every word.

Yet he was all alone when animal control officers snared him out of a Tennessee river. Examined in a county holding facility, this genial elder pup was labeled unadoptable, never to be given a chance at a home, destined quickly for euthanasia.

A young volunteer refused to give up. She scrambled to search the Internet for information on his presumed ailment, a search that led her to Top Dog Foundation in Minnesota. Late on a Friday night, she emailed us asking if we could help a dog the facility staff now called “River.”

We connected with Angels Among Us Pet Rescue in Georgia to ask, did they know anyone nearby? Yes, they did, and on Saturday afternoon a volunteer raced to reach the county facility. She pulled River out and away 45 minutes before his time ran out.

Up to this point, what we knew about River was far less than what we didn’t know. We simply moved forward with the decisions that kept his options alive. He was bedraggled, exhausted, covered in fleas and moving slowly. Our volunteer found a nearby veterinary clinic and took River there.

River spent the next two weeks undergoing diagnostic tests that ruled some things out and indicated more needed evaluation. Perking up and building strength, he was cleared for travel to MN. His outlook seemed to match ours. We texted a pilot friend of Top Dog to see if he knew anyone who could offer a plane ride as transport by car would involve lots of handoffs and take several days. This compassionate man veered his own private jet eastward and collected River and flew him to Chicago. He then gave River a bed for the night— actually sleeping on the couch to keep an eye on him—and took off on a flight to Minnesota the next morning, delivering River to us.

River claimed a spot as co-pilot for the ride, clearly enjoying the view. Sometimes it takes a village and a plane ride to get a rescue done.

Honestly, we don’t know the rest of River’s story yet. It’s still evolving. He is receiving needed veterinary care and enjoying a warm place to sleep, lots of safe space to stroll and play, and using up a lot of calories wagging his tail.

What we can tell you—really—is that someone loves River again. It started with his young advocate at the county shelter and continues on with everyone who tries to do right by this sweet dog.

We will never know more about River’s life before he was found swimming downstream that day. But the people who stepped up for him—those who never questioned that his welfare came first—fit the best parts of rescue. This literally on-the-fly network of caring people is at least a portion of the reason Angels Among Us chose their name. This network, who we are working with, epitomizes the spirit that underscores Top Dog Foundation’s belief that every dog deserves a great life … Every dog.

It also seems clear that River’s legacy matches the effect each senior dog—or “elder pup,” as we fondly refer to these seniors—carries with them when they come into a rescuer’s life. Dogs who have not had the soft spots in life recognize when they are offered—especially when those soft spots are located in a human heart.

For some dogs, rescue can mean a long-term life in a loving, individual home. For others—and River may be one—rescue means an opportunity to take haven in a larger sanctuary, where quality of life, comfort, and love can be achieved for whatever time remains. Top Dog is actively seeking funds to build that sanctuary. This forever home will open its doors to older dogs, chronically- ill dogs and those deemed unadoptable … the same words attached to River in TN.

Large and small rescues have a difficult time finding foster and adoptive homes for elder pups, and they are among the most at-risk in shelters; 56% of all dogs who enter shelters are euthanized, and seniors are on the short list. So, a rescue that can pull them to the immediate safety of a sanctuary—and then seek to find the best forever home match— provides an opportunity for a great last chapter of life.

Top Dog’s Sanctuary will save elder pups coming from any location, whether it be down the driveway or downstream in a southern river. If your heart is one with a soft spot for seniors, you can find more information and the opportunity to help create the Sanctuary at topdogfoundation.org.