Junior - In Memory

Name:  Junior
Sex: Male (altered)
Breed: Shar Pei
Age: 1 ½ years (DOB 11/30/2010)
Location: New Oxford, PA

Vet Info:  Junior is neutered.  Junior is up to date on his rabies vaccine and is next due 3/30/15.  His owner administered Spectra 7 way vaccine on March 28th, 2012.  Junior has not been heartworm tested.  The receptionist at the vet's said Junior is a sweetheart!  He weighs 50 pounds.

Owner Info: Junior’s current owners are unable to provide the care he needs to be healthy and happy. They have contacted several Sharpei rescues via email. They have either not responded or they have told Junior’s owners they would have difficulty finding a home for him due to his special needs. Junior's current owner took him in when he was only 12 weeks old.  Junior had a mouth infection which healed with antibiotics, but then he started itching constantly.  His fur began falling out/being scratched out in large areas on his body.  The vet said that he had allergies.  His eyes were very itchy and he would rub at them all day.  He developed cherry eyes in both eyes.  They took him in to get neutered, and after his exam the vet came out and said that she could not do his surgery because he had an ulcer on his left eye.  They took him to see an optical specialist who suggested a surgery that would heal the eye, and then he would need one to fix the cherry eyes.  They scheduled the surgery for a few days later and took him home.  His eye ended up rupturing before the surgery and his eyeball needed to be removed.  Now Junior's allergies are in full force, and he is scratching himself raw.  He had also started urinating in the house. He does this off and on, and they don't know why.  They don't know what else to do for him. Junior is an indoor dog with the run of the house, he is housebroken but not leash trained. He knows the commands Junior sit, Junior come, Junior paw and Junior do you want to go out. Junior is microchipped, he is good with people and children of all ages and good with male dogs. His owners have a St Bernard/Newfie Mix (170 pounds) and they play together, sleep together and fight together – Junior's owner says it’s a love-hate relationship. Junior guards the food dishes, even though they each have their own, and sometimes guards the deck.  Their big dog backs down from Junior!   Unfortunately when they play, their large dog sometimes gets too rough, and Junior has had many wounds from their rompings.  Junior instigates these battles by growling, barking and attacking their other dog. Then a chase ensues until they are worn out.  There is a little boy next door who has teased Junior through the fence, and who runs up and down the fence between their houses and their dogs chase him. When the boy comes over, Junior grabs his clothes and tries to pull him to the ground. He has never shown aggression towards any other human besides barking if someone is talking to his owners from the other side of the fence and he does not recognise them, and he has never bothered ANY other child.  They have had many small visitors and they have two kids of our own, and he has not shown any aggression. Even though he does guard his food, it is only towards other dogs, never humans.  Junior likes to go new places on his leash and he is well behaved. They took him on vacation and he did fine, until they left him alone. He chewed on the door frame. Junior loves going for walks and car rides.  They even take him to the market and he loves the attention that he gets. Junior’s owner was diagnosed with leukemia in 2009. Junior and his owner fell in love with each other right away and he made her happy again. Once his health started going downhill alongside of his owner's, their relationship suffered. He associates her with the pain and suffering he has gone through. He runs from her when she calls his name because she has been the one to take him to all of the vet visits, administer all of his meds and eye drops and baths.