Ragan, an eight year old black Lab mix, found herself at the Sanctuary last year along with two other dogs, Ari, a nine year old Beagle mix, and Whiskey, a seven year old Lab mix. All three dogs lived together as “foster fails” in a home owned by a woman that fostered rescue dogs. Sadly, the woman passed away which left these three adorable misfit dogs without a home. The woman’s family reached out to us for help in finding a place where they can heal and start a new chapter.
When meeting the crew, it was clear that the boys got along very well and seemed to be a bit overwhelming for sweet and laidback Ragan. Especially being blind, Ragan preferred to be on her own, with her people, being adored and loved! We decided to separate Ragan from the boys, which seemed to help with her stress of adjusting to life at the Sanctuary. Ari and Whiskey didn’t seem to mind at all; they were much more dependent on each other and didn’t’ seem to realize their quiet sister wasn’t even around! The brothers would still see Ragan out on their walks at the Sanctuary to say hi and everyone seemed very happy with the new arrangement. We were grateful to find a home for the odd-ball brothers soon after their arrival (which you can read their adoption update here)!
At the Sanctuary, Ragan had some underlying medical issues that needed to be addressed, specifically with her liver. After showing some elevated liver enzymes in her routine bloodwork, an ultrasound showed that her liver was very small for her size. A follow up procedure was done to biopsy the liver for further investigation. Thankfully, with medication, her liver enzymes stabilized and she was medically cleared! She also had her eyes seen by our vet after going blind suddenly a year prior to her arrival, but they seemed stable and didn’t need any further care. This gave us the go ahead to start looking for Ragan’s perfect match!
After a while, a wonderful applicant was looking to add to her family, which included a hamster and Bearded Dragon! Her and her boyfriend wanted a dog they could simply love, hang out on the couch with, and go out for leisurely strolls around their neighborhood. They didn’t mind age or past medical history, they just wanted a dog to love and to love them in return! They fell head over heels with Ragan and was willing to work with her blindness and any further medical care. Though Ragan couldn’t see her new siblings, she certainly appreciated they had their own space and she had hers!
Six months later, Ragan has been thriving in her new home and looks like she’s aging backwards! Not only does she triumphantly tackle the second floor stairs with ease, she loves sleeping in bed with her new mom and dad and enjoys claiming the couch as her own! She had a checkup at the vet that said she was doing fabulous and has even met one of her other doggy relatives, Chase, and plays with him during family gatherings! Her mama wrote to us, “She’s definitely been spoiled by everyone here, we love her so much!” And recently mentioned, “Her new favorite thing is cuddling with one of my old stuffed animals on the couch, she won’t go to bed without it! She’s gotten really comfortable in our back yard and loves to be chased and run around!”
We love nothing more than hearing our adopted animals being spoiled, loved, and having fun! With just a little love and care, Ragan has now started this whole new chapter of her life and seems truly happy! We wish our little Ray of sunshine tons more memories and cuddles with her family for many years to come!