My name is Gino!

10/21/09: Update From Gino's Foster's Mom

"Gino is back home from his surgery. He really had no recovery time from having his large skin tag removed- the surgery was a breeze and he was just happy to return to his safe, warm bed. The vet said he refused to eat while he was in their care. I was surprised because Gino loves to eat!! Mater-a-fact, he has gained back the weight he lost from being in the shelter.

Gino is such an easy and happy guy. He is tough to resist. He just wants to be close to people. I love that trait in a dog. He has a ferocious bark when people are coming but he starts to wiggle the minute they get close.

Some of his favorite things are new toys, his orthopedic bed, dinner time, toast, going for short walks (he tires out easily) and being petted. I was hoping to just get away with walking him around the yard on Friday because it was raining- but he just kept at me until I took him for a walk. It is really the highlight of his day. I am not sure he went on many walks in his previous life. I enjoy just watching him enjoy himself.

I can’t imagine how it felt for such a loving dog to be dropped at a shelter and separated from his brother dog at this point in his life. This sweet boy lives to be close to people and get some attention.

The vet confirmed that he is blind in his right eye and probably has been since birth. However, Gino is the only boxer I have had that can catch; so he doesn’t allow it to get him down.

Please give Gino a chance. He truly is man's best friend."

07/24/09:
GINO’S MEDICAL ISSUES WILL NEED TO BE EVALUATED

We received an email from a concerned person regarding a boxer named Gino who was at her local Humane Society, which is a kill shelter. Gino had been there for several weeks and she was concerned for his safety. She was reaching out for help.

Gino is an 8 year old boxer who was surrendered with another dog. His friend was adopted, however, Gino was left behind. We assume no one wanted him because of some medical issues that were quite apparent. We were told he was brought into the shelter because his family was moving and they could not bring either dog along with them.

We made arrangements to pick up Gino the following day. When our volunteer arrived at the shelter she was told that another rescue organization came to see him but decided not to take him. We were never told why.

We knew when we first saw Gino‘s picture that there was no question that we were taking him into our rescue program. As you can see by reading the stories of so many of the dogs we have rescued, most come with medical issues. We do our best not to turn our backs on these cases since they need our help the most.

Gino has what appears to be a cataract in his left eye and he also has several growths that we hope will not turn out to be anything serious. Some of the growths are quite large. Gino will also likely need dental work and will get whatever else the vet suggests. He will be going to the doctor for a thorough exam soon.

For now Gino is safe and warm and happy in his new foster home and doing well.

First Report from Gino’s Foster Mom:

“Michael and I went to the shelter yesterday morning to pick up Gino. He acted as if he had been expecting us. Went right with us. He jumped right into the truck with us, and spent the two hour trip home trying to convince me he really was a lap dog.

At first I thought Gino was going to be hard to walk, he pulled so hard on his leash leaving the shelter, but once I got him home and settled in, he did not pull at all. I think he just wanted to make a break for it.

After an initial introduction, Gino and our female boxer Sydney got along fine. Sydney can not understand why he does not seem interested in her idea of play. I tried explaining that Gino is eight years old and not one and half and he does not like her pace…… but she continues to try.

Gino is very laid back. He prefers to sit with people and be touched. Looking at his records from the shelter it appears that he lost about 6 pounds over the last three weeks he has been in the shelter. He is very food motivated but not at all possessive with his food. The dogs ate side-by-side and there was no attempt to steal food from each other. He drinks like he is afraid the water will not be available the next time he looks. He drank so much he threw up so I am monitoring his water intake now.

Gino is housebroken. I am not yet sure if he does not know any commands or is just too traumatized to show me yet. He will sit but by giving him treats. He seems to lay down slowly, not sure yet if there is arthritis involved.

His skin ‘tags’ are quite large. The eye with the cataract gets gooey. I have been wiping the eye with a warm compress. He seems to be used to that. His breath is terrible and it appears that he has some missing teeth.

Gino cried a lot the first night. I finally slept on the sofa to be closer to him. He will get on the couches but does not seem inclined to get on the bed. I think it might hurt him to jump up, or it is at least an effort for him. I pulled a bed next to me on the couch, and he laid there and cried. He cried until I reached down and was touching him, and then he settled in. When I awoke, Sydney had left the couch next to me and was sleeping with Gino in his bed.

I am sending pictures- cute ones and some where you can see his eye, his skin tags, and some where you can see his teeth.”

Can you donate to help Gino?

You can send a check directly to: Northeastern Boxer Rescue
P.O. Box 95 Sunderland MA 01375. or use PayPal

Boxer Rescue Contact Area:

Northeastern Boxer Rescue

Jane Scott - janescott@boxerrescue.com

Pam Fosco - pam@boxerrescue.com