30/10/23 – Sadly Hooch has passed away. Sleep tight big man xx
Hooch is a 11 years old Dogue de Bordeaux who came into the Oldies Club care in December 2021 via a local authority pound. He had come in as a stray but although contact with owner was made they could no longer look after him so signed him over.
Hooch arrived relatively healthy with only a few lumps and bumps which the vet checked out and said they are harmless cysts. After his assessment he went up on our website for adoption. Unfortunately due to his age for a large breed and requiring a pet free home Hooch didnt receive any real interest.
Over time Hooch’s health started to fail. He has lost a lot of muscle tone and the vet thinks he has something neurological going on. He had quite bad arthritis and is on librella injections for this. He also was diagnosed as heart arrhythmia.
In August 2023 Oldies Club decided due to the lack of interest, Hooch’s advanced age for his breed & health issues and being settled in his foster home that he would remain in our care. This means he will remain at his lovely foster home on a permanent basis, with the charity paying his vet bills for the rest of his life.
Although believed that Hooch lived with another dog before he seems to think it’s his job to protect his home and his humans these days. He’s happiest as the centre of attention at home. Outside when he first arrived he was a reactive boy towards other dogs, but that was just stress. He now has his chosen doggy pals now and once he’s let them know he’s arrived, all is good
Hooch used to love walks of up to 40-60 minutes but with his advancing age his mobility is now an issue. Hooch is now more of a sniffer than a walker, so gentle potters on a cool day are perfect for him. He loves taking in the view and if anyone would like to sit and chat with him he’s a very good listener.
He loves cheese and hates peas. For a dog with such a large mouth, he is able to locate any that have been put into his food and neatly leave them in his bowl at the end. Quite a feat!
Hooch is a character. Tummy rubs are an essential start to his day and this is never open to discussion! Every single member of the family needs to participate. He’s a big boy with a big heart and he loves his toys – the squeakier the better! His foster family love him very much.
If you would love to offer a home to an oldie but your circumstances aren’t suitable, perhaps you would be kind enough to sponsor Hooch, or one of the other special oldies we are caring for in our sponsor dog scheme.