Wishbone is our Pup of the Week

I have been blessed with great friends on both side of the River of Life but one of my favorite friends is Wishbone.

It seems like I have known him my entire life and afterlife.  I first met him when he was saved by superstar dog rescuer Paula Malatesta.  Wishbone was a southern coonhound who would not hunt and was marked for death.   Paula saved him and gave him a wonderful home.

But Wishbone was still a very scared dog and he escaped from Paula’s backyard.  He was gone for several days.  One Sunday morning as Paula was leaving church she saw Wishbone and ran after him.  She tumbled down a hill while in pursuit but she managed to get Wishbone back and returned him to his home.

Wishbone lived with the Malatesta pack until his Mom took ill and her family thought the large amount of dogs she was taking care of were the cause of her health issues.  They removed the dogs from the pack.  Wishbone, having already honed his instinct for danger, fled before he could be collected.  When Paula came home Wishbone returned.  She had no choice but to try and find another home for the yellow coonhound who had escaped certain extinction twice.  Tiffany Provost, a young lady who had proved herself to be a great dog Mom, offered to take Wishbone in, and very good people worked together to get Wishbone north to New Hampshire, where he was finally in his forever home.

He fit into his news family perfectly.  He loved his new Mom, his Dad and their wonderful children.  I was so jealous when Pocket and River got to meet Wishbone at Pokey Lunn’s house.  River was not aware of the details of Wishy’s life but Pocket made sure she knew that they were in the presence of legend.

Since then we haven’t heard much from Wishbone.  He has settled down to be just a beloved family dog.  But he, like all quiet, beloved dogs, has not been able to fight off the advances of time  Wishy is starting to slow down.  His Mom took him for an MRI and it showed that he had four compressive discs in his back which caused chronic intervertebral disc disease.  He can walk but he needs help standing.  If he gets to the point he can’t walk he will need surgery.  Since Wishbone doesn’t want to do much more than sit with his family this is not a big lifestyle change for him.

After all the close calls Wishy has had in his life he has the perfect Mom.  She waited at the doctor’s office all day and sat with him in between procedures so he wouldn’t think he had been abandoned.  When you are a rescue you are completely convinced they are coming back.  

And his Mom will begin helping him with his physical therapy which is fine with Wishbone.  The more Mom and Dad time he has the better.   And I think he has years of more Mom and Dad time coming.