Bosley is in Georgia.

What a great day. My name is Bosley and I have just learned that I am ready for adoption! I have been on the Special Needs Page for several months but just had my checkup with the vet and have been given a clean bill of health! What a relief. I am now free of baby heartworms and the vet said that my jaw has healed very nicely and that it is perfectly okay to have some hard bones and even some hard food mixed in with my meals--yum. The vet believes I am around 4 years old (or maybe younger) and I have already been neutered. I am an active pug and would do best in a home with a yard or park nearby where I can just run and have fun. I love children and other dogs and would do wonderful in a home with either. Also, I am completely housetrained and have never had an accident in the house. I try very hard to be obedient and have done great with learning simple commands so far. This is such a bittersweet day for my foster mom, because I have been with her now for three months. She says that I am such a special boy and deserve the best home ever! If you are looking for a fun-loving, energetic pug, please put BOSLEY on your application!!

P.S. Please read my story below. I have been through so much this fall, but am ready for a new beginning! And thanks to all of my Virtual Fosters who helped in my recovery.

8/9/09:
SEPRA received notice from another rescue that a pug was in a high-kill shelter in South GA with a broken jaw. He seemed to be super sweet but needed to be pulled ASAP.

8/10/09:
A SEPRA volunteer pulled Bosley from the shelter and took him immediately to the vet: He has terrible kennel cough, high count heartworms and hookworms. An X-ray of the jaw showed it certainly is fractured. The jaw looks to be fractured in 4 places probably from being kicked or hit directly on the jaw. The vet believes that she can fix it with wiring, she didn't sedate him for the x-ray, as with high count hookworms & heartworms, this is risky when he will already need to be sedated for the jaw fix. He is being isolated due to kennel cough with possible surgery on 8/14 for his jaw.

8/14/09:
Vet has decided he is too sick for surgery today and will be referring him to a specialist to look at the jaw.

8/17/09:
Visited the specialist today: jaw is broken and mostly shattered; unfortunately it cannot be saved. The jaw has probably been broken for a few months because the bone is starting to atrophy. Bosley will need to have his entire bottom jaw removed and a jaw reconstructed for him. He will need extensive TLC and rehab for this surgery and then treatment for the heartworms. Bosley is in terrible shape, and to think that his injury was more than likely an evil act from a human is beyond belief. He is an amazing little guy who seems to be very trusting, playful and loving despite his past. At this point, it seems that he is not in pain or has grown use to the pain. SEPRA is happy to give this little guy his 2nd chance on life! Please consider being his virtual foster!!

UPDATE 8/20/09:
From our SEPRA volunteer that has been helping Bosley: I went to see him at the Vet Spec clinic. He had his surgery on Monday and when I got there yesterday he had just finished eating. It must be a learning curve for him now, as his little jaw has changed and am sure it is sore...yet eating must be so much easier now. His disposition is such a happy one, despite his lower jaw haven been cracked/shattered and just hanging by skin for who knows how long. He was still on antibiotics, but off the IV for the moment, so I could take him into a room with a big blanket where we sat and I just hugged on him for quite some time. He is really a big baby. And a lucky one at that...as Dr Shealy did a fantastic job on his jaw and his quality of life is such now that he can itch and eat pretty much like any other dog.

Update 8/24/09
Bosley has recovered enough from jaw surgery to finally be placed into a foster home.  He is on special soft food and several antibiotics, and doesn’t seem to notice that he has been through so much in the past few weeks.  Bosley has a good appetite and should begin to put on some needed weight with regular mealtimes.  He will still undergo regular vet follow up appointments for this jaw and then begin several months of treatment for his heartworm infestation.  An update from his foster home: 

Bosley is getting acquainted quite well with his new surroundings.  I don't think he even knows that he just had major surgery on his jaw (and got neutered at the same time!). He's a very happy boy, and I'm very certain there isn't a moment that he is awake that his little curly tail isn't wagging. So far, Bosley insists that he is a lapdog, even though is very obvious to me that he's a 19 pound pug! He definitely has some dependency issues, understandably, but I've already seen tiny improvements in that since yesterday. Like a typical pug, he has to be right beside me all the time - but Bosley has to be touching me to feel comfortable (this made for rather close sleeping quarters for bedtime last night!) Once he is able to take bones or other treats, it may take his mind off of being alone.

Update 9/14/09
Bosley has been doing wonderful in his new foster home! He's the happiest little pug, with lots of energy! We go for two walks a day, and he would go for even more if his foster mom would let him. He's quite the looker - we get stopped many times on our walks because everyone thinks he's just the cutest thing! He has the best personality and I don't think he has a mean bone in his entire body. He loves everyone - and wants to play with every dog and person that he sees. He was able to visit with 2 other small dogs this week and run and play in their big yard. He had a blast! He had his first real grooming as well yesterday, he really likes getting a bath and seems to just know what a good looking boy he is!

He is completely house trained and hasn't pottied in the house a single time. He's a good listener, but does need to work on calming down some when other dogs are around - he gets super excited and can't focus on anything else but playing with them! So, he'd be great in a home with other small dogs. He's also been exposed to children and did great!

He had his 2nd dose of Ivermectin today, which is used to treat the microfilariae (baby worms). He will continue to get a dose of Ivermectin weekly until they are gone. Then he'll begin with the big stuff- the treatment for the heartworms. He has a pretty high number, so his vet believes he'll need to go through 2 treatments. The Ivermectin does seem to make him feel icky for a couple of days. We would like to send out a great big thank you to SEPRA and to all of the vitual fosters for your help with the mounting vet bills!!

Update 10/7/09:
Bosley has been very busy visiting with friends and sight seeing over the last few weeks. He had his first visit to Hilton Head beach, where he frolicked in the sand and ocean. He also visited Forsyth Park in Savannah with his friend Gnarley, and posed for some cool shots near the fountain and playground. We also took a trip to River Street but didn't stay long because it was such a hot day, but he did sit just long enough to take a couple of pictures. He had more fun running through the shops on River Street than anything else that day! In normal Bosley fashion, he stole the show and got alot of attention that day.
 
Bosley started his heartworm treatment on October 1. So far, so good. He's been taking it easy, mainly napping the day away until his 2nd, and hopefully last treatment in a month. He is such a little trooper. He is so loveable, is very loyal and obedient and will be a wonderful addition to someone's life.

Update 11/10/09:
Bosley has been doing great so far since his last heartworm treatment. He's actually been a huge ball of energy, it's been hard for me to keep him calmed down! Guess that means he's feeling great, although his back looks just pitiful from the double injections that he got last week. And it has to be so painful, it certainly looks painful.
Hopefully he'll get a clear bill of health and be ready for adoption the beginning of December. I can't say enough wonderful things about this little guy. He is just a doll, and he loves absolutely everyone. As I've said before, he is a show stopper and everyone in the neighborhood just adores him. He is going to bring so much love to the lucky person who gets to adopt him.

Thank you to our Virtual Fosters: A. Jones, Gwendolyn F., Christine G., Evan W., Lori N., Dawn S., Alison L., Laura & Savannah B., Yiannis T., Kari B.