| POSSUM |
UPDATE 3/24/09 - Possum continues to be the same happy guy that I brought home 6 months ago. Time
sure goes by fast! He has gained a little bit of weight although I think he still looks "skinny" next to his boxer
sister, "Skyla". They are quite the team and can be found either wrestling with a toy or curled up sleeping
next to each other. He uses his weak leg more now and seems to be gaining strength on it.
We will all be glad when the snow goes and we can spend more time outdoors. Possum Helped me
snowshoe a path around their dog pen every storm last winter. That was Great Fun!! We have plans for a
little wading pool this summer. Possum just came in to see what I was doing and give me a big Elvis Grin.
He is such an easy-going guy! I am glad he likes to ride in the truck with me. He Loves the drive-thru at the
bank. They have really good little cookies, just the Right size.
Our goal is to start walking again every morning before work and burn a little excess energy. Wish us luck,
Bye for now from "Awesome Possum".
UPDATE 12/31/08 - Awesome Possum continues to do well. We have settled into a pretty comfortable
routine. He loves to cuddle and sleep as long as possible in the mornings. Then he and Skyla are out to their
fenced-in yard and doing a few laps if its not too slippery. He liked the big snow storm and had a great time
"helping" me shovel, mostly trying to catch the snow and burying his whole head and shoulders in it. Then he
would come up with a mouthful of snow and his whole face covered with just his black nose showing. He is
always so enthusiastic and ready with his big possum grin and waving tail. In the evenings, he has the couch
potato part down pretty well, too. All in all I think he is a Happy Dog! We have been watching Caesar
Milan tapes and I can't say for sure but I think we have Both picked up some valuable info.
Possum rides to work with me most days. He loves everyone and always welcomes a good back rub and a
chance to meet new dogs. I notice he is filling out more all the time...slowly but surely and his appetite is
good. Skyla is not as "fussy" as she used to be and has lost some weight with her little brother to keep her
on her toes. She rests during the day and then they really wrestle when we get home. All is well, We wish
everyone a Happy New Year! Be Safe and Love Your Boxers!!
UPDATE 11/17/08 - Hi from Awesome Possum!! The Possum boy is doing just great. The last two months
have flown by. We completed our obedience class last week. It was fun and Possum loved the play time
with the other dogs and the treats. We still have work to do but it's a start. Hopefully an intermediate class
sometime in the future.
Possum continues to do well with my other boxer girl "Skyla" and his kitty "Snowflake". They are often all
sleeping on the couch together in the evenings.He is always such a happy boy and ready to go with me
anytime. I'm so glad that he likes to ride and keep me company when I travel.
Possum has a good appetite. We can see that he is looking smoother and his ribs are not as noticable. Also
he seems to walk more consistently with his right hind leg that he had the surgery on. I hope he will build
more muscle in that leg as he uses it more. He loves to do his stretches and get massaged. He is such a love.
Our big news is that we now have a wonderful fenced in area for Possum and Skyla to run and play in. Talk
about a couple happy dogs! It has been my plan and dream to have just such a place for them to play and
do their boxer fun stuff. Possum fakes Skyla out by acting all interested in something he digs up and then he
will run over and grab the toy she was guarding and go tearing around the pen at full speed. It's a treat just
to watch them.
A very Special "Happy Thanksgiving" to all the caring people at SCBR. Thank you kindly, Awesome
Possum
UPDATE 10/16/08 - Hi Everyone, The Possum is doing great!! First off, I apologize for being late. My
computer skills are minimal and the e-mail update didn't seem to work. Okay, I brought Possum home a
month ago and the time has flown by. He is such a love and makes me smile and laugh so hard sometimes.If
you have ever seen his "smile" you just have to laugh, especially when he does his Elvis sneer with a top lip
caught on a canine tooth... He has managed to convert my 5 year old (only child) boxer,Skyla,into a more
outgoing and playful girl.The first couple weeks was a big adjustment for everyone, just taking it slow and
easy. Possum has a curiosity for my big fluffy white cat, but he has shown no signs of wanting to hurt him.
Snowflake stands his ground and Possum just sniffs him and occasionally will slap his feet on the floor to try
to make Snowflake run.Possum now sleeps with us and thinks that is just the perfect ending to a perfect
day. The first nite he barely moved all nite...I think he thought he was going to be crated if he was noticed.
Possum has gone with me in the pick-up quite a bit. He has been to the farm and gone to work with me. He
does like to ride and I love the company. For the past couple weeks I have been walking him and Skyla
together and they have been very good.We have a long walk in the morning and as many as we can work in
the rest of the day.I think Possum likes being a country dog. Also working on their manners getting in and
out of the truck together and sitting while I drive.
Possum seems to be gaining a little weight. He is eating good and I try to keep him interested in his menu.
For some strange reason he just gets crazy if I stop for a coffee while we are driving somewhere. He tries
his best to get to it. Pretty funny. He also likes to share a banana with me and he loves cooked carrots and a
spoonful of cottage cheese on his breakfast. As you may know, he had a surgery on his knee in July. He can
walk fairly well with that leg now, although I think he sometimes just forgets that he can use it. We try to
walk at a speed and do lots of uphill walks so that he does use his weak leg and hopefully continues to gain
some more muscle. We'll never know his whole story or just how long he adapted to not using that leg at all.
We did start our obedience class the end of September. It is a lot of fun and I know we will both learn a lot.
His favorite part is to play with all the other dogs and of course the treats are not too hard to deal with
either.Finding a special treat for class is challenging. Last week I came home with a baggy full of squished
carrots, hotdogs, string cheese and something else that was unidentifiable...
Everyday seems to have something new and positive that we try or something nice to remember. We have
met friends and chased butterflies. One day he was a little protective when a stranger came to the door.
Then he sat and stayed with me while we were talking. My brave white guard possum. At work he has
earned the name "Awesome Possum" and it suits him. I can't say enough how sweet and gentle he is. His
foster mom was right when she said he is happy to just lay for hours next to you... or on you,whatever. He is
always a happy boy. Many,many thanks to all the kind people who make happy endings for these great
fur-babies. I will update next month.
9/14/08 - Possum has been adopted!
7/15/08 - Possum's surgery was a success. The surgeon said it could not of gone better. He goes back in 2
weeks for a check up and then will finally be ready for adoption.
7/11/08 - Possum finally was able to get into the orthopedic specialist and it was found has a luxated patella
(dislocated kneecap). He will need surgery to fix it, or if it is too bad, then he may lose the leg. The vet will
not know which way he needs to go until he is in there doing the surgery. He was scheduled to have it done
yesterday, but an emergency came in so Possum is now scheduled for Monday. Keep him in your thoughts.
7/2/08 - Possum went camping for a week with us way DownEast near Eastport. He and Cuddles hung out
together and went everywhere together,inseperable really! We all slept in the tent together at night and
seemed like each night that I began to doze he would find a reason to bark, only once but enough to get me
fully awake again. We were on 10 private acres on the ocean, which is situated on about 500 acres of
privacy in the woods so obviously they were both off lead most of the time.
Possum figured out also how to get either into or out of the tent whenever he wanted to. He may not do so
well in a state park if he was able to get loose, he is pretty tricky!! Anyway fun was had by all.
He fell in the water thinking he could walk on seaweed I guess, he was over his head but able to swim back
over to the rocks and climb out. I think the shockingly cold water startled him and I find boxers not to be
great swimmers anyway.
We enjoyed ourselves and had a great time. He would curl up by the fire at night and sleep between my
daughter and me at bedtime.
6/20/08 - Possum is an amazingly sweet dog. No matter what he needs to be near you and especially if you
have treats or a toy! We love this little boy as he is one of the sweetest dogs many will have met in a long
time. Though we are working on his mannerly walking skills he is progressing well. As he is a puppy he likes
to chew things and if you leave him out of the crate when your gone (as puppies are famous for) he chews
what ever looks best and is in reach. I am positve that he will grow out of this very soon. I think he would
enjoy a active family or one with kids as he loves to play and needs a tummy rub at least once a day. =)
Surprisinlgly enough he does not over do giving you "kisses." though once in a while he will give a a nice big
boxer kissy. P.S. we are going camping for a week starting tomorrow he will come with us for that.
6/10/08 - Good morning everyone! Possum saw Dr. Matt yesterday afternoon who said there would not be
a chance of surgery for his bum leg. His advise was to keep him at his present weight and just let him be. He
gets around quite well with it, as long as he does'nt get walked to far. Half a mile or less seems to work. We
went close to a mile the other day and he got tired and his good leg began to give out so we rested for half
hour and got him the rest of the way home.He is soooooo sweet and so friendly, everyone he meets just
loves him. There were a bunch of children playing tag in the yard last night and he joined right in with them.
He knows how to sit and usually does this on his own when you pull the leash out for a walk, waiting as
patiently as he possibly can for you to get it attatched to his collar. Also he will lay down when asked but
doesn't know this one quite as well but getting it really quickly. Gets along great with the other pets in the
home, doesn't mind the cat, the daushund or the bird. He has a wonderful personality and we just know he
won't last long. He is a real keepa!
6/6/08 - We have now got the sweetiest dog in the world, Possem! He is a bit clumsey with the lame leg but
still it doesn't seem to bother him all that much.We just took him for a walk and he enjoyd it but, as puppies
do, pulled and was all over Cuddles. Now he is pretty tuckered out from trying to get cuddles to at LEAST
pay some attion to him. Whenever he lays down he finds Cuddles trying to play with him. Right now he is
attempting to lay down and try to rest. Thats it on possem for now let you no when we know some more!
5/22/08 - I am very sorry for the long awaited update on Possum. Everything has been a little up in the air
as far as if he is being transported somewhere or staying here with me. Possum is doing fantastic and is such
a sweet boy. Basically he is crated while we are not home and out the rest of the time. He would absolutely
die if he couldn't sleep touching me! He has not had one accident in the house. He is eating pretty well, but
has not gained a significant amount of weight (I think because he is still a young active boxer!). As far as his
little leg is concerned he still does not bear weight on the limb. He has been seen by a veterinarian at the
clinic where I work at, but at this point he does not seem to be in any pain and is a pretty happy-go-lucky
guy. The plan from here is to try to contact Cornell University Small Animal Hospital and see if they will
work with the rescue, otherwise he is going to be transported to Maine where he can get to an orthopedic
veterinarian.
4/19/08 - The little PA White Boy has arrived in PA. Poor little guy came from the shelter with only a
number and no name. We have started calling him Possum. He is so tiny and underweight. He also has a
right hind limb injury which was determined to be a luxated patella by a DVM in Binghamton. The DVM
also said that the injury appeared to be old. He was found as a stray somewhere close to Binghamton, NY.
So who knows what this little guy has been through!
He has made himself right at home very quickly and getting along well with my 4 y.o. boxer, Stryker. They
have played all day long out in the fenced yard, but it is kind of hard for him to go at full speed because he
will not bear weight on that hind leg. He has not had ANY accidents in the house! He has also been
spectacular with the my two young boys.
So far so good! He's a real sweetheart!
sure goes by fast! He has gained a little bit of weight although I think he still looks "skinny" next to his boxer
sister, "Skyla". They are quite the team and can be found either wrestling with a toy or curled up sleeping
next to each other. He uses his weak leg more now and seems to be gaining strength on it.
We will all be glad when the snow goes and we can spend more time outdoors. Possum Helped me
snowshoe a path around their dog pen every storm last winter. That was Great Fun!! We have plans for a
little wading pool this summer. Possum just came in to see what I was doing and give me a big Elvis Grin.
He is such an easy-going guy! I am glad he likes to ride in the truck with me. He Loves the drive-thru at the
bank. They have really good little cookies, just the Right size.
Our goal is to start walking again every morning before work and burn a little excess energy. Wish us luck,
Bye for now from "Awesome Possum".
UPDATE 12/31/08 - Awesome Possum continues to do well. We have settled into a pretty comfortable
routine. He loves to cuddle and sleep as long as possible in the mornings. Then he and Skyla are out to their
fenced-in yard and doing a few laps if its not too slippery. He liked the big snow storm and had a great time
"helping" me shovel, mostly trying to catch the snow and burying his whole head and shoulders in it. Then he
would come up with a mouthful of snow and his whole face covered with just his black nose showing. He is
always so enthusiastic and ready with his big possum grin and waving tail. In the evenings, he has the couch
potato part down pretty well, too. All in all I think he is a Happy Dog! We have been watching Caesar
Milan tapes and I can't say for sure but I think we have Both picked up some valuable info.
Possum rides to work with me most days. He loves everyone and always welcomes a good back rub and a
chance to meet new dogs. I notice he is filling out more all the time...slowly but surely and his appetite is
good. Skyla is not as "fussy" as she used to be and has lost some weight with her little brother to keep her
on her toes. She rests during the day and then they really wrestle when we get home. All is well, We wish
everyone a Happy New Year! Be Safe and Love Your Boxers!!
UPDATE 11/17/08 - Hi from Awesome Possum!! The Possum boy is doing just great. The last two months
have flown by. We completed our obedience class last week. It was fun and Possum loved the play time
with the other dogs and the treats. We still have work to do but it's a start. Hopefully an intermediate class
sometime in the future.
Possum continues to do well with my other boxer girl "Skyla" and his kitty "Snowflake". They are often all
sleeping on the couch together in the evenings.He is always such a happy boy and ready to go with me
anytime. I'm so glad that he likes to ride and keep me company when I travel.
Possum has a good appetite. We can see that he is looking smoother and his ribs are not as noticable. Also
he seems to walk more consistently with his right hind leg that he had the surgery on. I hope he will build
more muscle in that leg as he uses it more. He loves to do his stretches and get massaged. He is such a love.
Our big news is that we now have a wonderful fenced in area for Possum and Skyla to run and play in. Talk
about a couple happy dogs! It has been my plan and dream to have just such a place for them to play and
do their boxer fun stuff. Possum fakes Skyla out by acting all interested in something he digs up and then he
will run over and grab the toy she was guarding and go tearing around the pen at full speed. It's a treat just
to watch them.
A very Special "Happy Thanksgiving" to all the caring people at SCBR. Thank you kindly, Awesome
Possum
UPDATE 10/16/08 - Hi Everyone, The Possum is doing great!! First off, I apologize for being late. My
computer skills are minimal and the e-mail update didn't seem to work. Okay, I brought Possum home a
month ago and the time has flown by. He is such a love and makes me smile and laugh so hard sometimes.If
you have ever seen his "smile" you just have to laugh, especially when he does his Elvis sneer with a top lip
caught on a canine tooth... He has managed to convert my 5 year old (only child) boxer,Skyla,into a more
outgoing and playful girl.The first couple weeks was a big adjustment for everyone, just taking it slow and
easy. Possum has a curiosity for my big fluffy white cat, but he has shown no signs of wanting to hurt him.
Snowflake stands his ground and Possum just sniffs him and occasionally will slap his feet on the floor to try
to make Snowflake run.Possum now sleeps with us and thinks that is just the perfect ending to a perfect
day. The first nite he barely moved all nite...I think he thought he was going to be crated if he was noticed.
Possum has gone with me in the pick-up quite a bit. He has been to the farm and gone to work with me. He
does like to ride and I love the company. For the past couple weeks I have been walking him and Skyla
together and they have been very good.We have a long walk in the morning and as many as we can work in
the rest of the day.I think Possum likes being a country dog. Also working on their manners getting in and
out of the truck together and sitting while I drive.
Possum seems to be gaining a little weight. He is eating good and I try to keep him interested in his menu.
For some strange reason he just gets crazy if I stop for a coffee while we are driving somewhere. He tries
his best to get to it. Pretty funny. He also likes to share a banana with me and he loves cooked carrots and a
spoonful of cottage cheese on his breakfast. As you may know, he had a surgery on his knee in July. He can
walk fairly well with that leg now, although I think he sometimes just forgets that he can use it. We try to
walk at a speed and do lots of uphill walks so that he does use his weak leg and hopefully continues to gain
some more muscle. We'll never know his whole story or just how long he adapted to not using that leg at all.
We did start our obedience class the end of September. It is a lot of fun and I know we will both learn a lot.
His favorite part is to play with all the other dogs and of course the treats are not too hard to deal with
either.Finding a special treat for class is challenging. Last week I came home with a baggy full of squished
carrots, hotdogs, string cheese and something else that was unidentifiable...
Everyday seems to have something new and positive that we try or something nice to remember. We have
met friends and chased butterflies. One day he was a little protective when a stranger came to the door.
Then he sat and stayed with me while we were talking. My brave white guard possum. At work he has
earned the name "Awesome Possum" and it suits him. I can't say enough how sweet and gentle he is. His
foster mom was right when she said he is happy to just lay for hours next to you... or on you,whatever. He is
always a happy boy. Many,many thanks to all the kind people who make happy endings for these great
fur-babies. I will update next month.
9/14/08 - Possum has been adopted!
7/15/08 - Possum's surgery was a success. The surgeon said it could not of gone better. He goes back in 2
weeks for a check up and then will finally be ready for adoption.
7/11/08 - Possum finally was able to get into the orthopedic specialist and it was found has a luxated patella
(dislocated kneecap). He will need surgery to fix it, or if it is too bad, then he may lose the leg. The vet will
not know which way he needs to go until he is in there doing the surgery. He was scheduled to have it done
yesterday, but an emergency came in so Possum is now scheduled for Monday. Keep him in your thoughts.
7/2/08 - Possum went camping for a week with us way DownEast near Eastport. He and Cuddles hung out
together and went everywhere together,inseperable really! We all slept in the tent together at night and
seemed like each night that I began to doze he would find a reason to bark, only once but enough to get me
fully awake again. We were on 10 private acres on the ocean, which is situated on about 500 acres of
privacy in the woods so obviously they were both off lead most of the time.
Possum figured out also how to get either into or out of the tent whenever he wanted to. He may not do so
well in a state park if he was able to get loose, he is pretty tricky!! Anyway fun was had by all.
He fell in the water thinking he could walk on seaweed I guess, he was over his head but able to swim back
over to the rocks and climb out. I think the shockingly cold water startled him and I find boxers not to be
great swimmers anyway.
We enjoyed ourselves and had a great time. He would curl up by the fire at night and sleep between my
daughter and me at bedtime.
6/20/08 - Possum is an amazingly sweet dog. No matter what he needs to be near you and especially if you
have treats or a toy! We love this little boy as he is one of the sweetest dogs many will have met in a long
time. Though we are working on his mannerly walking skills he is progressing well. As he is a puppy he likes
to chew things and if you leave him out of the crate when your gone (as puppies are famous for) he chews
what ever looks best and is in reach. I am positve that he will grow out of this very soon. I think he would
enjoy a active family or one with kids as he loves to play and needs a tummy rub at least once a day. =)
Surprisinlgly enough he does not over do giving you "kisses." though once in a while he will give a a nice big
boxer kissy. P.S. we are going camping for a week starting tomorrow he will come with us for that.
6/10/08 - Good morning everyone! Possum saw Dr. Matt yesterday afternoon who said there would not be
a chance of surgery for his bum leg. His advise was to keep him at his present weight and just let him be. He
gets around quite well with it, as long as he does'nt get walked to far. Half a mile or less seems to work. We
went close to a mile the other day and he got tired and his good leg began to give out so we rested for half
hour and got him the rest of the way home.He is soooooo sweet and so friendly, everyone he meets just
loves him. There were a bunch of children playing tag in the yard last night and he joined right in with them.
He knows how to sit and usually does this on his own when you pull the leash out for a walk, waiting as
patiently as he possibly can for you to get it attatched to his collar. Also he will lay down when asked but
doesn't know this one quite as well but getting it really quickly. Gets along great with the other pets in the
home, doesn't mind the cat, the daushund or the bird. He has a wonderful personality and we just know he
won't last long. He is a real keepa!
6/6/08 - We have now got the sweetiest dog in the world, Possem! He is a bit clumsey with the lame leg but
still it doesn't seem to bother him all that much.We just took him for a walk and he enjoyd it but, as puppies
do, pulled and was all over Cuddles. Now he is pretty tuckered out from trying to get cuddles to at LEAST
pay some attion to him. Whenever he lays down he finds Cuddles trying to play with him. Right now he is
attempting to lay down and try to rest. Thats it on possem for now let you no when we know some more!
5/22/08 - I am very sorry for the long awaited update on Possum. Everything has been a little up in the air
as far as if he is being transported somewhere or staying here with me. Possum is doing fantastic and is such
a sweet boy. Basically he is crated while we are not home and out the rest of the time. He would absolutely
die if he couldn't sleep touching me! He has not had one accident in the house. He is eating pretty well, but
has not gained a significant amount of weight (I think because he is still a young active boxer!). As far as his
little leg is concerned he still does not bear weight on the limb. He has been seen by a veterinarian at the
clinic where I work at, but at this point he does not seem to be in any pain and is a pretty happy-go-lucky
guy. The plan from here is to try to contact Cornell University Small Animal Hospital and see if they will
work with the rescue, otherwise he is going to be transported to Maine where he can get to an orthopedic
veterinarian.
4/19/08 - The little PA White Boy has arrived in PA. Poor little guy came from the shelter with only a
number and no name. We have started calling him Possum. He is so tiny and underweight. He also has a
right hind limb injury which was determined to be a luxated patella by a DVM in Binghamton. The DVM
also said that the injury appeared to be old. He was found as a stray somewhere close to Binghamton, NY.
So who knows what this little guy has been through!
He has made himself right at home very quickly and getting along well with my 4 y.o. boxer, Stryker. They
have played all day long out in the fenced yard, but it is kind of hard for him to go at full speed because he
will not bear weight on that hind leg. He has not had ANY accidents in the house! He has also been
spectacular with the my two young boys.
So far so good! He's a real sweetheart!
| HAVE YOU SPONSORED A BOXER TODAY?? You can make a safe, secure donation through Paypal and make a difference in a dog's life TODAY! Even $5 or $10 helps pay for food and medical care. Click here to donate today! or Mail your donation to: SCBR PO Box 525 Woolwich, ME 04579 |
STATE: ME
AGE: 1 1/2 Years
WEIGHT: 45 lbs
SEX: Male
NEUT/UTD: Yes/Yes
COAT COLOR: White
DOCKED TAIL: No
CROPPED EARS: No
CHILDREN under 4: Yes
CHILDREN OVER 4: Yes
SEPARATION ANXIETY: No
OTHER DOGS: Yes
CATS: Yes
CRATE TRAINED: Yes
HOUSE TRAINED: Yes
OBEDIENCE TRAINED: No
LEASH TRAINED: Yes
MICROCHIPPED: Yes (Home Again)
ADOPTION FEE: $300 + $20 microchip fee
AGE: 1 1/2 Years
WEIGHT: 45 lbs
SEX: Male
NEUT/UTD: Yes/Yes
COAT COLOR: White
DOCKED TAIL: No
CROPPED EARS: No
CHILDREN under 4: Yes
CHILDREN OVER 4: Yes
SEPARATION ANXIETY: No
OTHER DOGS: Yes
CATS: Yes
CRATE TRAINED: Yes
HOUSE TRAINED: Yes
OBEDIENCE TRAINED: No
LEASH TRAINED: Yes
MICROCHIPPED: Yes (Home Again)
ADOPTION FEE: $300 + $20 microchip fee
