Who saved whom? That's always the question.After the loss of our old "Safehaven Special" Daisy Mae, our house was just too quiet, despite the two very active resident cats.We started searching for a new furry friend.

When we pulled up the Senior Dog Rescue of Oregon (SDRO) website, there was a picture of the gooest-looking dog, with a forlorn look in his gooey eyes and wearing an old maroon & white sweater to cover up his patchy fur.Our hearts melted. This was the dog! This was DUDE. We filled out the adoption application that very night. Apparently a relaxed household with two kids and other pets would suit Dude just ne! He was ours – YAY – and we had some care work ahead of us.


We are a family of healthcare providers so it was easy for us to follow the care plan previously developed by All Creatures Great & Small Vet Clinic. Dude continued on special food and a regimen of medication to heal his goopy eyes, his infected ears, and his overall skin problems. Almost blind from inflammation and infection, Dude's eyes started to clear up quickly and he went from having trouble going down stairs and bumping into fences to running and fetching toys in the yard.

Dude is so well-mannered, his only real flaw is that he is overly affectionate. Every person he meets is his new best friend, and he loves to try and get his full 90 pounds into whichever lap is available.Despite being eight years old, he has some impressive bursts of energy and excitement. We're working on sitting when we encounter new friends, which has been a relatively easy task because Dude will do anything for a treat!

It's been such a joy to watch Dude relax and reveal his true mellow nature. He was timid when he arrived, but quickly figured out the new routine and fit right into the family – whether it's a long walk or a game of tug-of-war. We are so fortunate to have found this lovable goofball, and so grateful to SDRO for creating such a perfect match. We can't thank you enough! — Anne Phillips and family.