Bear

An older, mixed breed, black dog, came to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) as a stray. They named him Bear and aged him at about 14 years old. Bear looked a bit rough when he arrived, his fur was not filled out and he was underweight. He went to a foster home to gain weight so he could have a badly needed dental prior to adoption. His temporary foster home did a great job putting some weight on him and making his fur fill in and shine; but when he came back to the shelter for his dental he had a neurological episode (which he recovered from), but due to his age and the neurological issue, the doctors indicated that a hospice foster would be best for Bear.

A devoted ARL volunteer, Jenny, offered to hospice foster Bear. She and her family had recently said goodbye to their family dog and they were drawn to the idea of fostering Bear and giving him a home for the remainder of his life. As soon as she met Bear, Jenny fell in love.

An assuming dog that loved walks, hated car rides, and was prone to having the occasional barking spell when he was trying to communicate when he wanted something, quickly become the devoted and pampered dog of Jenny’s family. Her younger kids loved him and Bear loved them, but most of all he loved Jenny who worked from home; and where she was Bear was not far behind. Bear was their dog and they were his family and they were the most kind and attentive foster home.

Sadly, after just three months together Bear had another neurological episode and this time he just didn’t recover. He didn’t want to eat; he didn’t want to go outside. He just wanted to be near his Jenny. She knew it was time to say goodbye, and as she had been during the good days, Jenny was by Bear’s side when he made his transition. 

You can give more dogs like Bear the chance to live out their lives knowing comfort, love and family.