❤️ Meet Gucci - A Little Dog with a Whole Lot of Heart ❤️
When we rescued 12 year old GUCCI over a year ago, we truly believed we were bringing him to Noah’s Arks Rescue to give him a warm bed, lots of love, and a peaceful place to spend his final days. At the time, the doctors thought he might have a month left, if we were lucky. Gucci had a Grade 5 out of 6 heart murmur and could only walk using his front legs — his rear legs were basically just along for the ride. His body condition score was an alarming 2 out of 10, and this tiny little old man weighed only 5 pounds. He was in terrible shape.
I knew we couldn't change whatever had happened to Gucci before he came to us. I just wanted whatever time he had left to be filled with warmth, comfort and love. We got Gucci into the hospital and began addressing all of his medical needs. And then something wonderful happened. Gucci decided he had a little more life left to live. One month came and went, and now, more than a year later, Gucci is still here.
Gucci is still wobbly and unsteady because of his neurological condition. He still has significant heart disease, and he has an inoperable mass. We know our time with him will always be borrowed time, but Gucci is not living like a sad story. He is living like a dog who is wanted and finally gets to belong.
Most mornings, Gucci spends time inside with the caretakers while they clean. He settles into his big cozy bed, usually with a couple of small dogs nearby, and naps until he decides he is ready to head outside with everyone else. Gucci’s version of happiness is quieter — a soft bed, a gentle lap, a few friends nearby, a little rain on a hot summer day, and a hand reaching down to remind him he is loved.
He currently shares his day pen with Penny. He may not be a playgroup wild man, but he clearly enjoys having other dogs around him. Their company matters to him. Every now and then, another little dog will come over and try to get Gucci moving, and our little old man will surprise everyone with a sudden burst of energy — just enough to remind us that his spark is still very much there. What Gucci loves most is being held. He melts into kindness, accepts affection so softly, and is about as gentle as they come.
We will never know what Gucci's life was like before he came to Noah’s Arks Rescue. We don't know who loved him, who failed him, or how long he had been struggling before someone finally found him. What we do know is that the little dog who was expected to have perhaps one month left has now had more than a year of soft beds, good food, little friends, medical care, warm laps and people who adore him. And Gucci isn't finished yet.
Dogs like Gucci are why we are here. Some come to us young with their entire lives ahead of them. Others arrive old, broken and sick, when there may be very little time left. We believe that little bit of time matters, too. Your support allows us to give dogs like Gucci something they may never have had before — the chance to feel safe, comfortable, wanted and loved.
We don't know how much longer Gucci will be with us, but after watching him prove everyone wrong for more than a year, we've learned not to underestimate this little old man. His final chapter belongs to him now, and Gucci seems determined to keep adding a few more pages.
— Noah’s Arks Rescue
