Senior Shelter Dog To Be Euthanized the Next Day—One Thing Changed His Fate
A senior shelter dog surrendered by his family in heartbreaking circumstances was 24 hours away from being euthanized until a dramatic late intervention.
The reasons why Moose the 12-year-old dachshund mix was surrendered to Downey Animal Shelter, in Los Angeles, California, are something of a mystery.
"We don't know why Moose's family surrendered him," Nicole Rechtszaid told Newsweek. "He seems to have nubbed-down teeth, which we suspect means he may have had to eat rocks to fill his belly. He has severe gum disease and neglected teeth and alopecia."
However, as a seasoned volunteer and animal rescue advocate based in Los Angeles, Rechtszaid has seen surrenders like Moose before. "While it [Moose's surrender] may be because of the cost [of his treatment], I have witnessed people firsthand surrender dogs due to age, claiming they're no longer fun and playing," she said.
Rechtszaid also knew Moose was facing a race against time to get adopted. "Downey Animal Shelter is frequently overcapacity, meaning dogs may get 2-4 weeks maximum before being euthanized. Moose was surrendered on April 25 and we picked him up on May 27," she said. "Dogs will get notices sent out to rescues as pleas for them to rescue and Moose had already had three notices sent out with no luck. No public interest."
Moose the 12-year-old rescue dog was less than 24 hours away from being euthanized.
Moose the 12-year-old rescue dog was less than 24 hours away from being euthanized.
TikTok/nicoleandthedogs
That was when Rechtszaid intervened. Rechtszaid grew up with animals and volunteered as a teenager at a local animal rescue in Florida. "I adopted my own dog Beau as a college student at the University of Florida during my senior year," she said. "Since then, he's inspired me to do all that I can to help animals. He came from a hoarding case and was only a few months old, yet he had a slew of health issues."
After moving to California, Rechtszaid began fostering rescue dogs. It was an eye-opening experience. "I learned about the extreme shelter crisis and how often dogs are being taken to these open intake, high kill shelters," Rechtszaid said.
Eager to help some of these dogs find homes, Rechtszaid began visiting shelters and filming videos of the canine residents. She posted the footage to TikTok and Instagram under the handle @nicoleandthedogs, helping many of those dogs who would have otherwise gone unnoticed find forever homes or foster carers.
That's what led her to Moose. "My friend Amanda sent me a video of Moose and said she really wanted to help him," Rechtszaid said. "She needed support since she had two fosters in her care. One was going to leave on transport in two weeks to his home, so she could take Moose in as a foster afterwards."
They knew how difficult it can be for older dogs to get adopted. A 2021 study published in the journal Animals identified some of the most common characteristics of long-term shelter dogs.
Researchers concluded that long-term shelter dogs were more often of older age, male, of large size, neutered, and of a "dangerous breed." Moose may not have fit all of those categories but his age certainly counted against him, making adoption less likely.
Rechtszaid agreed to take Moose in, with a view to raising the funds to get him the treatment needed. She also arranged for some additional foster support while she was out of town and Amanda was at capacity.
Amanda was the one who brought Moose home from the shelter and just in the nick of time. "A volunteer said he was set for euthanasia the next morning, so we got him on what appeared to be his last day," Rechtszaid said.
Rechtszaid posted a video to TikTok showing the newly-rescued Moose excitedly zooming around her apartment. Though it's only been a short time, Moose's true personality has begun to come out.
"Moose is a very goofy boy who likes to lay on his back and twist around, asking for belly rubs," Rechtszaid said. "He's a couch potato and will never object to a day in bed. He also does enjoy exploring and each day he is getting stronger now that he has a proper diet."
The challenge now is to find him a forever home to enjoy his senior years in. "Moose has separation anxiety, so his ideal home is a person who works from home, is retired, or stays at home," Rechtszaid said. "He will need someone who can be patient with an older dog and not push him too hard, giving him ramps for the couch and bed given his dachshund body shape."
She added: "He deserves lots of affection in his golden years, so he will want someone who snuggles him as much as possible."
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