This dog had called the streets of Los Angeles his home, but by the time he turned 11, he became too old and sick to keep up with the other dogs. So he came to a stranger’s porch and decided to wait there until someone could help him.
The woman observed the frightened dog on her porch and decided to name him Solovino, which in Spanish means “he came alone.” When a few days passed and Solo was still living on her porch, the woman contacted Rocket Dog Rescue, who agreed to house her in San Francisco.
He only went through several foster homes after he arrived at the rescue center and was adopted several times, but each time he was sent away. Eventually, Carol Messina found her photo on the internet and decided to adopt her.
Deaf dog spends years on the streets and is now happy
Carol told The Dodo:
“As soon as I saw his face on his site, I wanted to like him. Then I saw his name was Solovino, and being a HUGE ‘Star Wars’ fan (I also a cat with a name ‘Star Wars’), I immediately thought, ‘Well, his name is Solo!’ and I saw how sad he was, I knew he would stay with me forever, no matter what.”
When Solo arrived at his new home, he was scared and shy. Having bounced from house to house all her life, she wasn’t convinced that it was finally a stable home forever.
Carol recalls:
“When she came to live with me, she kept her tail between her legs for months. He was very unresponsive with dogs, people and cats, flinching every time someone tried to pet him.”
He was only very old and ill when he was rescued, so his keepers did not initially know he was a deaf dog and his teeth were in very poor condition.
Since he couldn’t hear people approaching him, he became anxious and disliked being petted. His aching teeth also prevented him from getting enthusiastic about anything.
His landlady decided to postpone a minor operation she was due to have so she could fix Solo’s teeth right away. Once they did, their behavior changed drastically, for the better.
Ever since Solo arrived with her new family, she has loved running and playing, both indoors and outdoors. He even gets angry when he sees other dogs when he walks. His best friend is named Bailey, who coincidentally also lives in the same apartment complex. Whenever Solo leaves the house, he always runs to Bailey’s door first.
The dog owner says:
“People who live around us always say he doesn’t look like the same dog anymore. She hasn’t smiled or barely opened her mouth to gasp for months, and now she’s smiling, twirling and sprinting across the lawn an dozen times a day.”
Carol found ways to help ease Solo’s anxiety caused by his deafness. She makes him wear a harness that says he’s deaf every time they go for a walk, so people won’t pet him without asking. Also, always turn the lights on and off when you enter a room, so he knows you’re there and isn’t startled by your presence.
Although he has several health problems, Solo is very happy to live his old age with his new mother. Even Carol is considering moving to a house with no stairs, so he can get around more easily and she can adopt older dogs in the future.
Finally the woman says:
“I’m very proud of his progress. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done, and he’s inspired me to have more senior dogs in need of palliative care.”
Follow Pets Feed on Google News!