We’re happy to announce that we’re officially Duncan’s paw-rents as of 26 Jan 2019!
Adopting a dog wasn’t part of our initial plans, but those plans quickly shifted when we first saw Duncan’s profile on the SOSD FB page (https://www.facebook.com/…/a.21960004071…/2208074072576523/…) – easy-going, can be left alone for extended periods of time without issues, low energy. And because he had spent 3 of his 10 years of life in the shelter, he is grass trained, shows little signs of insecurities, and adapts to new environments quickly.
His adoption drive “matchmaking profile” sounded perfect for us and our lifestyle — full-time working adults, who tend to like things more relaxed at home, and are first-time dog owners. On top of that, we have a terribly soft spot for senior dogs, as they tend to be passed over in favour for cuter, younger puppies.
During the Adoption Drive, his fosterer, May, shared with us enthusiastically about Duncan’s habits, likes and dislikes. She also offered the opportunity for us to walk him around the compound. When we parted ways, May gave us her contact to arrange for a homestay trial, which we quickly took up. We are very grateful to May and Lynnette (SOSD Rehoming Team) for constantly following up on our progress and offering good tips and information, and for being so informative in sharing. It helped us a lot in our decision-making!
The homestay passed in a flash. Duncan warmed up to us little by little — from running away when we got close, to greeting us with his waggy thunderbolt-shaped tail when we got home. Before the trial week was even up, we knew we wanted him in our lives forever.
Many of our friends commented that Duncan is very lucky to have found parents who are open-minded enough to adopt a senior dog; but Wei Song and I think WE are the luckier ones to have found him.
True to his profile, Duncan is gentle, mild tempered and super tolerant of our mistakes and lack of dog-handling experience. Through our patient and loving trainer, we slowly learnt to understand that Duncan’s occasional baulking at walks, muzzle punches, and low gruffs are his way of telling us “that’s my limit!”.
Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? We were pleasantly surprised by how quickly Duncan learns and engages with us, despite his usual “stone face”. He’s still very much a puppy at heart and enjoys playing — always quick to learn and figure things out when we try new games with him 🙂
We’re very thankful for all the staff and volunteers at SOSD without whom Duncan would probably not have survived hemangiosarcoma, penectomy and frequent bouts of UTI, and for keeping him company during his stay at the shelter. Thank you for not giving up on him and for believing that old dogs deserve a loving home too!
– Yi Ping and Wei Song
