Charlie ~ Border Collie ~ On Trial 19/5/20

Meet Charlie our friendly and happy-go-lucky 10 year old Border Collie. Charlie is a distinguished senior in search of a furever family who will dote on him during his golden years. Charlie is a dream to spend time with - he is happy and easy going and everyone who meets him loves his sweet and gentle nature.

Charlie is a cuddler who loves people - he will become instant friends with everyone he meets seeking out their affection. He is a licker who will climb onto your lap so he will require a new family that loves this level of hands-on affection. He is not a yard dog or working dog sort of a gentleman - this senior would love to be inside with you most of the day with access to a grassy yard for a snooze in the sun and short play sessions.

As a senior Charlie does have osteoarthritis in his rear legs. He has commenced treatment with Pentosan injections which will offer relief and will need to continue every 3 months for his lifetime (initial injections are 4 x weekly). Charlie’s new family will need to commit to the long term daily management of his osteoarthritis - understanding the financial, dietary and practical management. His lameness symptoms are most evident in situations such as getting up after laying down, getting in and out of the car (he needs to be picked up), or going up and down stairs . Day to day management will require practical elements such as sleeping on soft, warm bedding (he will choose to lay on the cold concrete which is not good for him), keeping him inside where it’s warm and cosy (especially in colder months), a home without a lot of stairs and keeping his walks and playtime short. He will require a good quality senior specific dry food, as well as joint supplements (eg Sasha’s Blend), glucosamine, fish oil , sardines and veggies added to his meal. Charlie’s teeth are very worn down (possibly from chewing or grinding on balls or maybe a cage in his old life) - despite being worn they cause him no obvious pain when eating and are clean and strong. In a dog of his age we recommend his new family commit to regular health checks including dentals as guided by your vet.

Despite his stiffness Charlie loves his short walks and he sees himself as an active chap belying his age! He absolutely loves visiting the dog park and meeting and playing with canine friends there. He could play with his doggy pals all day so you will need to manage park visits with “time-outs” to give his legs required breaks. Due to him being so dog social he would best suit a home with another senior dog who’s happy to share their humans with him. He lives with another senior male border collie Rufus whom he idolises - he follows Rufus around and looks for him if they are separated.

Charlie could be a perfect match for semi retirees whose kids have left the nest and who are looking to spoil a furchild over the coming years. Although Charlie is good with kids we would prefer a home without them as they may encourage a level of activity that is too much for this senior chap.

So if you are looking for a new best mate and have the ability to manage Charlie’s medical needs in his senior years then please contact us on email rescuepooch75@gmail.com . Charlie is in foster care near Erina, NSW 2250 (Central Coast). He is not available for interstate or long distance adoption.

Charlie’s adoption fee is $300 and includes his desexing, vaccinations, flea and worm treatments and microchipping. You can see all our available dogs at www.dogrescuenewcastle.com.au