This article was originally published in the McCook Gazette in March 2024.
McCOOK Neb. - Julie Kotschwar shared on her Facebook page that a skinny and scared Great Pyrenees mix was found on Road 380 west of McCook. Neighbors had reported that he had been out there for two days. "This breed tends to wander, so we hope someone recognizes and claims him. Sadly, his actions indicate that he was dumped. Under normal circumstances, the Great Pyrenees would have kept on their journey and not stayed in the same place. I believe he was waiting for that person to come back."
Knowing he must be starving, Kotschwar took action. She planned to pick him up and take him to the Humane Society, where he could be scanned for a chip and wait for his owners to retrieve him. "I was there from 4:30 - 11:00 p.m. trying to win his trust." Kotschwar shared. She gave him a cheeseburger, and he gobbled it up but still wanted nothing to do with her. A couple of hours went by, and nothing. She called her vet to ask if there was anything she could give him to mellow him out so that she could help him.
The vet came out to assist. They gave him sedatives, and they didn't even touch him. Kotschwar said his adrenaline worked against it, and he was pretty fired up. "So we'd give him a little more medicine. They waited and watched from her car, hoping he would settle, but he wouldn't. The vet tried to throw a leash over his neck, but he was too worked up. "I looked over, and one time he went at her, and I said, Okay, let's stop because you're gonna get bit, and he's not going to settle down, and I don't want him in my car anyway." She went home to her dog but was still concerned that after the sedative, he could be endangered and unable to defend himself. S she went back out to check on him one more time for the night when she found him walking around howling at the moon.
The next morning, Kotschwar's neighbor texted her to let her know the dog was still out there. She talked to her vet once again, who said that as a last resort, they could use a tranquilizer dart to get him to safety. Julie wanted to try one more time before that. She coaxed him into her car with three sausage biscuits; he jumped right in.
Kotschwar shared on her Facebook, "He was motivated by hot McDonald's sausage biscuits this morning and is now in a safe kennel, receiving vet care. He will be scanned for a microchip as soon as possible.
Please message me or contact the McCook Humane Society with any information on this very good boy."
Unfortunately, due to his aggressive nature, the Humane Society could not take him in. She called a friend who has experience with rescuing dogs and asked how to make the best of the situation. She put him in her garage and sat on a bucket nearby. She read to him, and he slept for nearly two days.
The vet came out to scan him for a microchip; he didn't have one or any tags. Kotschwar began sharing her journey with him on Facebook, hoping that his owners would claim him or someone would take him in. During the vet visit, they discovered that he was deaf.
Kotschar decided she would continue to house him and try to train him until a permanent home could be found. He was no longer aggressive, but she thought he was temporarily better with her.
Kotschar had called several sanctuaries, even paying for a DNA test that one required. She was at the end of her rope. She finally got a call back from a 402 number. It was a call from Scatter Joy Acres; Kotschwar recalled answering the phone, "She sounded like an angel on the phone. She said droid Julie, this is joy. And instantly, I started crying again, and she let me cry. She's like, I understand why you're upset. You know this should have never happened to him because he was dumped. He wasn't lost."
Kotschwar was emotional while sharing her remarkable journey with Romeo. "Today in the mail, I got his dog collar with his dog tag and my phone number on it," she said, adding, "I wasn't going to keep him, but I thought as long as he's here, he needs to have some ID." She had her dog microchipped but never programmed her information into it.
Kotschwar, who already has two dogs, couldn't permanently take on a third. When asked if she would do it again, she paused, taking a deep breath and looking up with emotion. She said, "I didn't think it through. Yeah, I mean, I thought it was going to be easy, and I thought we'd take him to the Humane Society the next day."
She wouldn't change her 35-day journey with Romeo; she went above and beyond what most, even animal lovers, would do. "I don't know; I shed many tears over those 35 days. It was tough. Yeah, I don't know. Don't make me say no. I know the answer, but it's hard to say that.
Julie Kotschwar shared her journey with Romeo on Facebook, updating her friends and followers every few days. Her words tell the story better than I ever could.
Day 3 of Life with Romeo
Elexa (Kotschwar's daughter) said he had to have a name if I was going to try to train him. Interestingly enough, it didn't matter because he is a deaf dog.
The first 24 hours: Eat, sleep, repeat. He likes his blanket. I spent much time next to his kennel and read to him for 30 minutes that first night.
I didn't know he was deaf, but he enjoyed the company. He is not food-aggressive. I can pet him when he's eating and even remove his food bowl from him. He takes food from my fingers with the softest mouth!
Day 2: He was scanned for a microchip but had none. We went for a walk on a leash (aka he walked ME), And he and Marigold had their first introduction through the kennel fence. It went well. His body language showed that he was excited to get out and play. He weighs approximately 75# but is underweight. He is so bony. He was started on a probiotic.
Day 3: Today, he will have an opportunity to meet another deaf dog for a proper introduction. This dog's owner has much experience with these situations, and I am grateful for her help. If all goes well, he should be able to play in the front yard with Sunshine and Marigold!
I am still hopeful someone will step forward and claim him. It would be wonderful if he just wandered off from his property. This breed can wander for many, many miles. If no one claims him after five days, I will try to find the perfect home for him. A young woman from Denver is very interested in him and will be coming to McCook this weekend to meet him.
Day 5 of life with Romeo!
We made it to the end of his five-day stray hold!! That means he can legally be adopted.
But he's not ready. It's going to take a lot of patience and learning. And I want his rehoming to be a huge success, so there's no rush.
Romeo likes to go for walks. Because I'm trying to put weight back on him, we go for 4-6 short walks daily. He doesn't pull anymore. If anything, I'm more likely to trip over him because he is usually right next to me.
His bark is so loud!!
And that's typical for a deaf dog.
He loves to cuddle with me.
He does NOT love unaltered male dogs.
Or that ridiculous wind we had Tuesday night!!
He is very territorial & doesn't make human friends easily…yet. But he is friendly with Sunshine & Marigold through the kennel. (patience)
He is learning to communicate through hand signals. It's a slow but exciting process. I'll post the YouTube link in the comments.
Thanks to everyone who has reached out. We've had some good days and some bad days, but every day has been a lesson.
It's a big weekend for Romeo!
He met Elexa & Madeline & got to play with Sunshine & Marigold with his leash loose! Because he can get overstimulated, I keep the playtime to 10-15 minutes.
Yesterday was an even bigger day!
Neutered
Microchipped
Vaccinated
Neg heartworm test
He slept most of the day & was so happy to see me bring him a little food last night.
Today was another good day. He likes to play ball in the garage, continues to practice his sign for 'sit' & 'down' (video below) & has taught himself a new trick. He can nudge the gate latch open with his nose!!
Thankfully, there are two, and he can't open the bottom latch. That was fixed fast! He is steadily progressing each day & yes, I still catch myself talking to him!
15 days
Romeo loves to play with toys, is learning to eat his food with Marigold & Sunshine in the same space, is becoming more comfortable with strangers, & enjoys rides in the car. He didn't even bark at the drive-thru today!! His weight is climbing & the bony hips are gone!
I am so grateful for the support from so many friends & his excellent vet care.
26 days with Romeo…& counting
No one has inquired about this handsome boy yet.
So, I have decided to work with a rescue, someone with more experience and a larger base of potential people interested in adopting. I've contacted three rescues who can help list him on their websites and social media platforms and find the best possible forever home.
The one I want to work with is overwhelmed with the number of dogs on their list. (*Correction! They ALL are overwhelmed!!) Big Dogs Huge Paws is a unique rescue organization that works only with giant-breed dogs. Great Pyrenees are on that list! But because they have had to make cuts, they have to limit the GP mixes they can take to only St Bernard & Mastiff's. My vet & I suspect Romeo is Great Pyrenees/St Bernard, but BDHP needed proof. I had to purchase a DNA test kit to verify. I sent off for that this morning, and hopefully, it has a reasonably quick shipping time. The turnaround time for the test itself is 2-3 weeks. Most rescues don't physically take the dogs. There is no facility where they are housed & people come by to look at all of them. They ask for people to foster until the right person has inquired. I will continue to promote Romeo as long as I can.
He has mastered sign commands for sit, lay down, come here, and release, and we are working on wait. Waiting is hard for him!! His rescue/capture weight was around 75#. I'm happy to report that his current weight today is 83.4#. He walks really well on his leash and is now accompanied by Sunshine and Marigold on his walks. If the right person were privately interested in adopting, OF COURSE, I'd go that route and free up the responsibilities of the rescues.
I'm invested. I can't just quit him. But I never imagined he'd still be here.
I've had people ask how they can help or what he needs, so I thought I'd share some ideas.
Dog food: Stockman's Feed & Supply. Exclusive Large Breed $56/30 lb bag. He goes through 1 bag/month.
Training treats: He could be more picky there. Beggin Strips can be easily broken into small pieces for rewards. I can make 1 strip go a long way! The 40 oz bag is $16.88.
Vet bill: $247. Heartworm test, microchipped, neutered, all vaccines. (I paid today)
DNA test: I ordered this morning. $76.50 with coupon!
Toys/activities: I can't trust that he can hang out in my yard while I am with clients, so he stays in the large indoor/outdoor kennel in my garage. I have cut back my work schedule so I can spend more time with him & we do a brisk walk as often as possible between clients. He needs stimulation. He went through two dog beds in one day and loves to tear the squeaker out of any toy he gets, so durability is essential. Sometimes, I scatter treats/kibble in a towel and twist the towel tightly to make him work to get them out. A Kong filled with peanut butter & kibble, then frozen, is a great distraction: tennis balls or nubby, squeaky balls for fetch. And, of course, he loves his pigs.
The list goes on…
I am grateful to the person who handed me some cash after her massage, the person who mailed a check, and the person who asked what he eats and brought out a bag of dog food. I'm equally grateful for those who stop me and ask how he's doing or those of you who shared his "lost dog" and "now up for adoption" posts. It all helps!
One thing I've learned through all of this… Not everyone deserves a dog. Dumping pets in the country is disgusting. I hope your karma gets you.
Every animal shelter and rescue across the country is at 115% capacity. It's not fair. The best way to support your local humane society is to adopt from them. Clear them out!!
Spay and neuter your pets. Make sure your dog has up-to-date ID tags. So many dogs are found with collars but no tags. What good does that do?
I've probably offended someone by getting on my soapbox, so I'll wrap this up by adding some cute pictures and videos of the best, good boy.
35 days with Romeo
Yesterday marked my 35th & final day with my handsome hunk of fluff!
Sunday evening, I sent out more emails to find a rescue with room for Romeo. (Thanks, Kelly!) One had a phone number & I left a somewhat tearful message. Twenty-five minutes later, the owner called me back, saying she'd love to have him join her rescue/sanctuary! (Called me back ON A SUNDAY!! And while visiting her Mom IN FLORIDA!)
I tried to tell her about the negative behaviors he was growing through and that I didn't know how to train him with them. She didn't care. She wanted him! She told me that if they could not help him unlearn those behaviors and be adopted out to the best family, he could happily live the rest of his life with her & her 88 other animals on the ranch. Imagine my tears now!! She was an absolute angel while I sobbed through the conversation.
She quickly made arrangements through her network of volunteers to find someone who could meet us halfway on Monday. I canceled all my appointments for the following day, packed up the car with the supplies he acquired over the past month, barely slept a wink, & headed out early Monday morning.
I still cannot believe how smoothly it went and how easily he transitioned over to Amy and Hunter in that truck stop parking lot! They loved him instantly, and he was just the best boy for both of them! I got a text message from Amy that afternoon telling me they had safely made it to the ranch and another this morning telling me he was adjusting well and getting along fine.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who followed his journey with me, offering words of encouragement and/or helping with his expenses. It was a beautiful team effort!
Taken from their website:
"Welcome to Scatter Joy Acres, a unique sanctuary where the healing power of animals meets the community's needs. Founded by Joy Bartling, this tranquil ranch in Murray, NE, is home to over 88 animals, offering Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) and the Equine Eagala Model Program for individuals with diverse needs, including developmental disabilities, at-risk youth, seniors, and veterans and their caregivers. Beyond AAT, the ranch also provides educational programs and hosts various events in a serene country. Explore our site to discover the magic of Scatter Joy Acres, where animals and people come together for healing and joy."
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