Deke Is Adopted!
In 2021, California GSP Rescue was contacted by a family looking to rehome their GSP. It was a difficult decision, but a family member had developed a medical condition that prevented them from owning any animals. In addition, they were planning a move cross country. They asked California GSP Rescue to help place their 14-year-old GSP named Deke.
Many Rescues would shy away from taking in a dog 14-years of age as they focus on the younger, easier-to-place dogs. However, California GSP Rescue is dedicated to helping GSP’s of all ages. While younger GSP’s do get more attention, they were confident they could find a home for Deke.
A few months after taking in Deke, Kris & Jacqui, a former adopter, informed California GSP Rescue that their adopted dog Fletcher had passed away. While it was sad news, they also expressed an interest in possibly adopting a Senior GSP. Families that want to give a Senior GSP a home are Angels as they have a true sense of rescue. It wasn't long after they were visiting Deke they knew he was the one!
Here is Kris and Jacqui's story, and an update on adopting a Senior GSP.
“It had been 4 months after our Fletcher (a California GSP Rescue alum) had passed, and we were still quite devastated by his loss. We knew that we would one day adopt another GSP, but were not quite sure if we were ready. But we reached out to California GSP rescue to let them know about Fletcher and tell them that in the not so distant future we might be interested in adopting an older GSP. After seeing the many senior dogs that had passed through the rescue, we liked the idea of giving an older dog a loving home for the remaining years of their life - however long that might be.
After speaking to Teri and there not seeming to be a likely match at the moment, we put the idea on the back burner…. Until we received a call back 1 week later!
Teri told us about DEKE, a 14-year-old GSP that had recently been turned into the rescue. We were a little surprised by the speed at which everything was moving, but agreed to go meet DEKE at his foster-mom's house in the next few days.
Adopting an older dog can be a little daunting, and we were well informed by Spring, his foster mom, of all of Deke's quirks. He was a bit hard of hearing, a bit visually impaired, a bit slow-moving - which would make him a perfect walking partner for our aging Chihuahua, Tiny. And within minutes of meeting Deke - and Deke meeting and tolerating Tiny - we knew he would be coming home with us! We were lucky enough to adopt him 1 week before his 15th birthday.
It's coming up on 6 months of Deke being a part of our family, and I cannot express how happy we are that he is here with us. While he certainly has filled the hole that was left when we lost Fletcher, his presence is much more than that. He is just the funniest boy! He is just so happy, so excited every morning to go on his walk. He just brings so much joy into our house. And it is shocking to think that he is 15 years old! He can hike for 3 miles, and still want more! While we know our time with Deke is limited, we will continue to love every minute”!
Adopting a Senior GSP can be a difficult decision to make. Still, it is one of the most enriching acts one can do. Thank you, Jacqui and Kris, for giving Deke a forever home!
