
Scooter
Sweet baby boy
Australian Shepherd Mix | 85 lbs (obese) | Male | 10 years old | Good with dogs | Good with kids | Low energy (could change with weight loss) | Crate and house trained | Fostered in Guelph, ON
Special Medical Needs: Currently on a weight loss program. Scooter is currently double his healthy weight.
Adoption fee: $300
Everyone, meet our very handsome man Scooter. Scooter is a 10 year old Australian Shepherd mix that came to us from a local shelter. Sadly, Scooter’s “owner” left him behind on a walk when he collapsed. Thankfully, a Good Samaritan saw this happen and brought him safely to a shelter. We are so happy to be the ones trusted with his care and to be able to give him the life that he deserves!
Scooter is good with dogs, cats and kids. Currently, he lives in a multi-dog house, with cats as well and has been fantastic with all members of the family. Scooter is crate and house trained as well. Scoots has loved everyone that he has met and even loves going to the vet for his visits and weight check ins.
Unfortunately, Scooter is obese (almost double the weight that he should be) and currently on a weight-loss program. His weight has unfortunately impacted his joints so he is currently on medication for osteoarthritis. Scooter is currently on Hills Metabolic & Mobility food to help him with his weight loss as well as to support his joints. Scooter is also currently being treated for perianal fistulas (almost fully resolved but can reappear). The good news is that Scooter has the best attitude to life and takes it all in stride :)
It seems Scooter was not walked on leash very much and is learning about leash pressure and following a human during a walk. His weight and joints impact his ability to walk at a normal walking pace, but he does well with verbal encouragement and he absolutely LOVES to carry a ball with him on our outings. As his mobility gets better, his foster mom will be focusing on making the fetch game more interactive and cooperative as he currently sees fetch as competition. He also loves to hold stuffies in his mouth and carry them around. Scooter definitely prefers playing with the ball then going for a walk. The hope is as he loses more weight he will enjoy walks much more. At this time, his energy level is quite low, but we are hoping to see some sort of improvement as he loses more weight.
Scooter is an elderly guy so he enjoys a lot of naps during the day! When he is awake he is curious about what the household is doing and wants to be with the “pack”. He is also playful and loves to carry balls and stuffies in his mouth. Scooter is a huge fan of the winter and loves the snow. He likes to lay in it and observe the world around him. While on a walk he will sniff and check things out.
Scooter’s foster parents have a few details about this sweet man that they wanted you to know!
Scooter is a senior but he has so much life in him! As his previous family did not treat him as they should (fed mostly human food, no exercise or biological fulfillment, etc) we are hoping this boy can now have the opportunity to truly be the dog he was meant to be. Scooter is part Australian Shepherd and loves to play with the ball (he prefers this over walks!) so his future family should be interested in this activity and willing to make a game with the ball a daily event! Since he is a working breed it would be great if his new family can also use opportunities throughout the day to have him “work”. This can look like having him do obedience commands during his mealtime, or using food as a game he has to work for. Scooter would also love if he is fed appropriate food for his breed and age as his health is a top priority after years of neglect. Most of all, Scooter needs to be seen by his new family as a wonderful companion who wasn’t given the opportunities to really be a dog and be fulfilled. Let’s give Scooter the home and family he was meant to, and truly deserves! He is such an incredibly sweet boy.