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Tank 

Tank was welcomed to Old Dog Heaven on December 20th, 2022. This good old boy had to be surrendered to the City of Albuquerque shelter because his person got cancer. How sad for both of them! He is a 13-year-old Black Lab Great Dane mix (Labradane), and he has been through an ordeal. He came into the shelter at only 58 pounds. For a dog that is supposed to weigh 80+ pounds, he must have looked skeletal. In the shelter, he had to be neutered and it got infected so he had to have his scrotum washed out. He has the beginnings of laryngeal paralysis, so he caught pneumonia. Then he caught kennel cough. He was reluctant to eat. But, the shelter staff stuck with him, helped get his weight up and recovered his health!  I am grateful for their commitment and kindness. 

Tank is an extremely affectionate and sweet boy. He loves to play fetch, go on walks and cuddle. He is housebroken and knows a couple commands like sit and lay down. He isn't great on leash, but his harness is helping him learn quickly. He is super friendly with people and dogs, and he loves to lunge at cats and chickens. One of his favorite pastimes is chewing, and within a few days he destroyed all the toys in the house! He still has to get his weight up more, so he eats a ton and is sleeping well. Mostly, he is grieving and needy after all that he has been through, losing the only home he knew, and going through a hellish ordeal in the shelter.  

Rocky and Uncle Max are adjusting to the new boy joining the pack. They are learning to share space together, and they enjoy keeping the watch on the porch when the weather permits. Uncle Max is a little miffed by his presence, so we are working on building familiarity and social bonds. So far, everyone is adjusting to all the change as well as can be expected. Here's to many more walks and adventures together! #packlife       
           

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On Christmas morning, Tank had a mini-stroke. He recovered fully, but on December 29th, he had another. From that point on, Tank declined steeply. At first he was still able to go on walks and play fetch, but within several days, his pace slowed greatly and he no longer wanted to play fetch. He started to lose his motor skills, becoming unable to stand without help. He no longer wagged his tail, and started to become uninterested in eating, even human food, which he loved to eat regularly with me. His personality changed completely. My happy boy was in misery. He was not just sick, but also deeply unhappy with the situation. He was both frustrated with the situation and also no longer wanted to live. 

After just a little over one year at Old Dog Heaven, Tank passed away on January 9th, 2024 at 3:21 pm. Never a sweeter boy walked the earth. He is greatly missed and we will always remember him.

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