The status of Vito was

last posted on 05/13/24 by

Joyful Rescues, Inc.

Male Dog, Collie

Collie / Beagle / Mixed (Medium Coat)

Description:

Vito was born in 2013 and we know this as that is when his microchip was inserted by Charlote Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control in NC and it is noted he was a puppy at the time. He must have been an adorable puppy and we'll never know how he ended up in Buffalo, once again, in the city dog shelter which was suffering from an all-time overcrowded situation. Vito was there through no fault of his own as his owner passed away and there was no family or close friends to take on the three dogs and so authorities had no choice but to put them in a high kill situation. Well, Joyful Rescues has a soft spot for elderly dogs and seeing the video by a shelter volunteer named Crystal we reached out to give this old man a soft place to fall. We were then told there was a sizeable lump on his side. We said we'd deal and were not turning our backs on him due to something that was, again, not his fault. The city shelter guessed him as being born about April 5, 2013 and no wonder because his teeth look really good even for a 10-year-old dog so, perhaps, he had some dental care at some point. His eyes look clear and healthy, and his hearing is fine and if there is any rear end weakness it appears pretty minor at this point. Update: Vito is here because a volunteer for the City of Buffalo shelter videod as she walked down the aisle and I felt a need to save the old guy with the soft expression and gently swaying tail. So often over the years I've had a dog come in that I wished could tell me their story and then we received an email from a close friend of Vito's previous owner and here is his story: Hi, My name is Vito and I'm a really good boy and am so happy that Joyful Rescues chose ME to save that day! When I was about 4 weeks old another lady, named Mary, chose to save me and my siblings Shamus and Mackenzie after our mom was killed by a car in a far away southern state. We might have been even younger as she did have to bottle feed us for a week or two until we could eat on our own. Mary decided to keep all three of us as we were really no trouble. I can't remember how old I was when we moved to Buffalo NY but about four years ago Mary began having some severe mental issues and Mary's best friend, Larry cared for us when Mary was hospitalized off and on. Then Mary was with her mother when she died unexpectedly and even though Mary was a former first responder she was unable to revive her own mother which was agonizing There was a big family fight which resulted in Mary being admitted to an emergency psychiatric unit and the three of us were sent to the city pound. The best I can understand what happened then is that Mary was released a couple days later and was so distraught about what happened to me and my siblings that Mary chose to leave this world and wait for us to join her at the Rainbow Bridge. I still long to have had the chance to say good-bye to her and to let her know I'm ok. I would also let her know that the day after we arrived at the pound her best friend Larry came and adopted Mackensie. As he wept, Larry explained to Shamus and myself that he could only have one more dog where he lived and since Mackensie was shy and timid he felt she had the least chance of walking out of there. It's true, both Shamus and I are out-going and friendly to all. I hope Shamus is ok, I guess I'll never know. Larry also let Joyful Rescues know a bit about me and it's not all good. He told on me that even with my lump (which never seems to bother me) I was able to get on his dresser to get the treats! As of last fall I was able to jump into Mary's Jeep and I loved to visit Higgs dog wash. I love children, other dogs and car rides! And I love to cuddle, even under the covers until I get too warm. I also love to go for walks and Goat Island is a favorite place as there are usually a lot of little kids - they are so fun! I heard the Joyful Rescues lady assure Larry that I will be cared for the rest of my life even if I'm never adopted . Sadly, I heard finances are a bit tight here lately so they are unable to send me to a vet to have my lump checked out. But that is ok because if I'd not been able to come here, lump and all, I would be ashes at a landfill by now. I would like to close my story with a thought for anyone that has adopted an older dog that wishes the dog could tell you their story I would hope their story is not as sad as mine, just let them know how very fortunate they are that YOU chose THEM as Joyful Rescues chose ME! The Adoption Fee for this dog is $_TBD on lump removed or still there _. Adoptions fees vary based on adoptability. In general our fees include spay/neuter, all age appropriate vaccines, Home Again micro-chipping & registration, worming & flea control - a "complete" pet. We accept CASH or Visa/Mastercard ONLY. Joyful Rescues has no funding except for our adoption fees and miscellaneous donations. Pet care and vet bills are expensive - you must be ready to take on this financial (as well as emotional) responsibility. YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 25 YEARS OF AGE TO ADOPT A DOG FROM JOYFUL RESCUES We keep our pet list as up-to-date as possible. As soon as a pet is adopted, it is removed from the list. If a pet is still showing, it is still available for adoption. Can't Adopt Me? SPONSOR ME Look for the Link "Special Instructions to Seller" if you want to note a particular pet Before you seek to adopt a pet from Joyful Rescues, please read our Pet Adoption page http://www.joyfulrescues.org/pet_adoption.html. Online Application