Marley

13 yr old female Shiba:

Marley was taken to a shelter when her person was admitted to the hospital. She was never reclaimed, so we can only assume her person either passed away, or is in no condition to follow up with the shelter and care for her going forward. Luckily the staff knew that a shelter is no place for a blind, deaf, senior dog with dementia, so they called us to ask for help. We were happy to oblige.

Marley appears to be at least partially blind and mostly deaf, and therefore startles when people and dogs get too close to her face. But she is a real sweetheart and is not reactive at all when it happens. The shelter suspects that Marley is in early dementia, as they observed her walking in circles while in their care. This is not an uncommon fear/anxiety behavior we see with Shibas in the shelter environment, but given her age, it could also be dementia.

Marley has been placed in a foster home experienced with blind dogs and dementia. Her foster mom has set up an area for her so she can get to know her new space safely and slowly. She will observe Marley’s behavior to assess the level of her sight and hearing impairments, while also looking for signs of dementia. Marley will also see a rescue vet as soon as possible for a full assessment.

If Marley is indeed already in dementia, she will become a hospice foster. This means that she will live out the rest of her days in her current foster home, with the rescue providing for her care. If however, she is deemed adoptable, we will make her available for adoption. Stay tuned for an update!