Age & Sex:  9 yr old female	UTD: Yes
Weight: 36  lbs.	Other Dogs: Yes    Cats: Yes
Color: Fawn	Children: Under 5:  Yes
Ears: Natural	Children Over 5: No
Tail: Docked	Professional Training Required:  No
Spayed: Yes	Microchipped: No
Owner Surrender	Location: Conklin, NY
Adoption Donation $150

If you have rescued a dog from BAR in the past, we are offering to let you adopt a senior dog and to waive the
adoption fee and to reimburse you for the cost of a regular vet visit during the first year. 

The perfect home for Gladys would be one with a fenced yard, only a few stairs, a crate, frequent feedings,
food with a strong odor,  access to the toilet bowl, someone home most of the day, a calm relaxed household,
children older than three, and lots of patience and understanding

5/4/08 - Gladys has been a member of the family for two weeks already and she's doing great!  She had a visit with the vet today and she did very well.  She was well behaved and allowed him to complete his exams.  She's been placed on a holistic medication for post cerebral trauma.  He feels her trauma occurred a long time ago and if she were treated at that time she could have recovered but at this point the damage is most likely irreversible.  She'll be on the medication for one month and if there is to be any improvement we would see it in that time frame.  It's worth a shot but either way we love her just the way she is!  I didn't weigh her when I picked her up from the Bardeen's but she weighed 37 1/2 pounds today and I think that is consistent with her previous weigh ins.  She has a great appetite for her bottle feedings and we spoke to the vet today about her gusto for solid food but just doesn't eat much of it.  I’ve noticed her teeth are in pretty bad shape so we think this might be her reason and discomfort towards solid food and chewing because she definitely has the appetite for it.  I started adding ground dry food to her bottles over the past few days and she loved it. I spoke with the vet today and she can stick to bottle feeding only and I can add dry and even wet food to the mixture and she will be healthy and happy without traditional solid food.  Also by adding the dry and/or wet food to her drink she no longer needs the liquid vitamin and calorie supplements!

Over the past week especially Gladys’ personality has really been coming out.  She likes to be where her family is and likes to take her naps where Puppy and Coty are.  She also enjoys being petted and brushed; she’s comfortable with all the attention and affection we give her.  Initially

 Gladys wasn’t too crazy about having a blanket on her but now she enjoys it when she’s laying down for a nap.  Before we got Gladys I was planning on changing her name but she definitely knows her name!  If you call her she’ll either make her way over to you or cock her head wondering what you want, and sometimes she’ll ignore you, just like any other boxer!  When I ask her while we’re outside if she’s ready to go in she heads for the door.  A few nights ago I was sitting on our bench in the kitchen and Gladys came over to me.  She stood next to me and then rested her head on my leg and then on my hand.  She’s a real sweet heart!

4/23/08 - Gladys has been doing great since we met and picked her up from
her foster parents, on Saturday, April 19th, 2008.  She’s adjusting
quickly and easily to her new surroundings and new family and has enjoyed
being treated like a princess! She slept like a baby on our trip from the
foster home back home.  We made a puppy pit stop along the way to stretch
her legs and then she continued to sleep like a baby for the rest of the
ride. When we arrived home we walked her in the back yard and she did her
business, met our 1 year old Boxer, Coty and explored the yard for a while.
She had a little bit of her bottle feeding Saturday night, explored a little
indoors and then after a long day went to bed in her new crate and pillows
complete with a new crib bumper so she’s as cushy as possible. She woke up
around 2 am and we went out for a little while.  Sunday Gladys slept until
about 1 pm.  We spent a lot of time outside Sunday exercising and exploring
the yard without being on the leash so she could feel out the property and
the layout.  Our neighbors also came over to meet her so he had a lot of
excitement. Gladys had almost two bottles of her formula on Sunday and we
started changing her sleeping schedule to coincide with our schedule with
Coty and Puppy. She did wake up again that night around 2 am, still working
on her old schedule, but once she had a walk outside and a little bottle
feeding she went right back to sleep.  Monday she was already right on schedule
with us and has been up with us at 6 am each day, to bed around 11 and has
slept great through each night since. We picked up a baby monitor so I can hear
if she wakes up over night and needs to go out but we haven’t needed it yet. 
Gladys has a great ability to adapt to her surroundings and is very easy going. 
She needs a little assistance getting her sea legs when she first wakes up but
after that she’s off and prancing!

On Tuesday Gladys had three bottles!  And today she ate her dry food for the 
first time since she’s been with us.  I thought it would take her a while for 
Gladys to adjust to us and feel comfortable but she has been wonderful, is very 
active and loves to walk and get lots of attention, she’s brave and nearly 
fearless.  She’s allowed us to pet her and carry her around either to help her 
or just to show her off!  She even had her first bath last night!  She has her 
first vet appointment scheduled in two weeks and I think it should go great.  
Gladys is very sweet and seems to be more relaxed and mellow each day.  Yesterday 
she walked to my dad, who was kneeling down.  She put her head in his lap, leaned 
on him and enjoyed some petting!  Gladys was a little tensed by her first meeting 
with Coty on her first night and Coty and Puppy were a little more than nutty. 
Normally Puppy doesn’t like any newcomers and will adjust and become friends on 
her own terms, which could take weeks or months but by Sunday night Puppy and Coty 
were already in love with Gladys.  They give her kisses while she sleeps, check on 
her to make sure she is OK and Puppy will stand almost motionless when Gladys is 
walking about.  Puppy and Gladys go outside together and Coty has been outside with 
Gladys a few times.

We have some dresses for Gladys and I can’t wait to give her another bath this 
weekend and let her prance around in some new duds and take pictures for her updates!  
Taking care of Gladys has been very easy.  She’s so easy going and has so quickly fit 
right into our family.  Everyone fell in love with her instantly and I believe she is 
happy with us too since she is so comfortable in her new home.  We’re so lucky to have 
her! 

4/22/08 - While Gladys is no longer my foster baby, I still want to do one last update.  On Saturday, April 19th she moved to a foster to adopt home.  She came to me May 20, 2006, so she had been with me 1 year and 11 months, almost to the day.  Having Gladys so long made it a very difficult decision to let her go.  I had grown to love her and even had decided to adopt her in May if she wasn't adopted before then.  But Erin and her family requesting to adopt Gladys when they did, made it seem like this was meant to be.  They could offer Gladys a fenced yard and a good home and I would be able to continue to foster other boxers.  When Gladys first came to me I felt sorry for her and was angry that someone had robbed her of a normal life.  However, as I came to know her, I realized that Gladys didn't know that her life was missing things.  She got up each day happy to have food and a soft pillow.  Bumping into things was just part of her world.  I grew to admire how Gladys dealt with what the world gave her.  Moving to a new home will be difficult but I know she will adapt.
She has adapted ever day of her life.  I miss her but she deserves a forever family.

4/19/08 - Gladys just left with her FTA family.  Erin and her mom both seem like wonderful people so this just might be Gladys'  forever family.  Gladys was very nervous and freaked out getting into the car but eventually settled down.  This will be a big adjustment for her but hopefully will be for the best.

2/22/08 - Wanted one SPECIAL person or family to love, care for and protect a very sweet but easily frightened special needs boxer baby.  Gladys is about 8 or 9 years old but, except for the gray around her face, looks like a puppy.  She is small for a boxer and is maintaining her weight at 39 lbs.  I keep trying but I can't seem to get her gain any more weight.  She will eat some dry dog food - her current favorite is Royal Canin (Boxer) - but not enough to maintain her weight.  So I have spoiled her by supplementing the dry food with bottle feedings of liquid nutrient drink (like Ensure) twice a day.  This is also her liquid since she will not drink water from a bowl.  Gladys really enjoys her bottle so feeding her does not require a lot of time.  However, the supplement can be
expensive - about $50/month for generic supplement on sale.  Lately, I have been mixing more water in with her supplement and have also tried to feed her liquefied canned food through the bottle.  So far I've had limited success with the canned food.  I stopped around Christmas because I had another foster boxer - Utah.  Caring for Gladys is 100 percent easier than caring for an energetic, 8 month old, 60 lb. boxer puppy. All she needs is feeding and walking outside to go to the bathroom.  Also, cleaning up after when she doesn't make it outside because I'm not paying attention.  Most of the day she sleeps.  Gladys did not seem to be bothered by having Utah here even though he would help her with her bottle and flatten her when he jumped on her to play.  She mostly ignores other animals except to sniff them. Because of brain injury early in her life, much of Gladys'
sensory perception and coordination has been affected.  I find it difficult to know how much she sees, hears, or understands in her environment.  Somehow she gets by and seems happy most of the time. She is only frightened when she is restrained or trapped. Then she panics and can snap or nip.  This is easily handled by avoiding such situations or knowing how to deal with them.
Gladys, at times, shows typical boxer behaviors - wiggles, prancing and nub wagging.  Usually this is when she wants something to eat - which is whenever she is awake.  If I make her wait before feeding her, she will wander the house looking for me.  She locates me by movement or by scent or by barking at where she thinks I should be.  If anyone is looking for a low energy, low maintenance, special boxer please consider Gladys.  While Gladys is not the perfect dog or even the typical dog that people are looking to adopt, she is very sweet and affectionate  - in her own way. Are you the SPECIAL person or family for Gladys?

12/9/07 - Not much new to report on Gladys.  She weighs in at about 39 lb. - not great but better than she was.  We spent Thanksgiving in Florida with my parents and both Gladys and Ellie went with us.  The only problems traveling with 2 dogs are staying overnight in a motel and finding room in the car for them and all their stuff. We survived the trip and enjoyed the nice weather.  Gladys and I are definitely not ready for the cold and snow.  She has to get down 6 more outside steps to get to our driveway and she doesn't go down stairs well.  As long as I keep hold on her collar she makes it down without hurting herself.  She is sort of housetrained - if she is confined to a small area (a small room or crate) she will whine or bark to go out.  When she is free in the house, some days
 she has no accidents but other days she has several.  It all depends on if I'm paying attention and get her out at the right time.  It's all I can ask from her since she virtually deaf and blind and will not eat any treats.   I sometimes wish I could experience the world as she does - then maybe I could understand and make her world better.  The baby bottle works well to feed her the nutritional supplement.  However, feeding her watered down canned dog food through the bottle often takes more time than I am willing to take.  She will drink it - just only a little at a time.  I'll give it  another serious attempt after the holidays.  I have tried just putting the canned food in a bowl after feeding her the watered down version but she justs walks away from it. She is still eating some dry dog food as long as she is made aware I am filling her bowl.  I feel like I'm repeating a lot of this information in Gladys' updates but anyone considering adopting her needs to be aware of her problems and special needs.  She is a fairly easy dog to care for - not very high energy, sleeps much of the time - just not a typical boxer or dog.  Please consider Gladys if you are looking for a baby to care for, love and protect.

10/26/07 - Gladys went to Cornell yesterday for a neurological evaluation and while there we met Rocco and his
 foster mom.  Rocco sure is a handsome boy.  His picture on the webpage does not do him justice and it was a nice surprise to meet him and his foster mom in person. 
But back to Gladys - I wanted to be sure I had done everything I could to change her condition even if it involved a MRI brain scan. However, her initial evaluation was not positive.  She shows signs of damage to both main parts of her brain.  They did not think her symptoms were caused by a brain tumor or a progressive disease because she has been this way for most of her life and her problems have not gotten worse.  Most likely she suffered an infection or trauma early in her life and a MRI might be able to show exactly what part of her brain was damaged.  Bottom line was - there really was not much they could do to change the damage.  Knowing that and seeing that Gladys was really upset when she returned from her exam - they had tried to restrain her - plus she would need to stay 2 nights at the hospital and be anesthetized, I decided not to have the MRI done.  It would not fix her problems and only cause unnecessary trauma.  I wish the outcome had been different - I so want her to have more
 out of life - but she seems to accept what she has.  Guess I can accept that also but I will keep trying to make her life better.  As I've said before change comes slowly for Gladys -- inch by inch, day by day.  Taking care of Gladys is frustrating at times but also rewarding.

10/17/07 - Guess I missed updating Gladys in Sept. but there's only so much I can say  - change comes slowly for her.  Just a reminder - Gladys is a special needs dog.  She was abused as a puppy and has neurological damage affecting her sensory perception - vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch are all affected.  She does not interact like a typical boxer or a typical dog so it is difficult for her to be a part of the family.  She is a very sweet dog but she will snap and nip when she is frightened.  She likes food but it is difficult to get her to eat enough to maintain her body.  There have been some positive changes with her eating.  A visit to the vet this week for her shot confirmed that she has maintained her weight at about 36 1/2 lb.  She is eating a few bites of Wellness Core dog food fairly regularly about 3 times a day.  In addition she gets two 8 oz. cans of liquid nutrition supplement a day.  I have switched to a generic supplement from CVS that is less expensive than Ensure - only $20 for 24 cans and Gladys seems to like it.  She now gets the supplement through a baby bottle (thanks to her stay with Michele).  Yesterday  I started to feed her watered down canned dog food through the bottle.  The look on her face was - what is this stuff - but she hasn't refused to drink it.  So far she has gotten a 1/2 can a day through the bottle.  If she will continue, I hope to reduce her liquid supplement to one can a day.  At least it should be less expensive to feed her.   Maybe eventually she will eat the canned food out of a dish. :)
Gladys is gradually showing some improvements interacting with people.  She hasn't snapped at me in quite a while and she didn't snap at the vet when he gave her the shots even though she was nervous about being held.  She is better about allowing people to touch her head without jumping away.
We stopped at the pet store after visiting the vet and Gladys walked through the store with me without any problems - except for trying to get tangled up in the shopping cart when I stopped to load a bag of dog food.  She even seemed to like exploring the different smells in the store.
Right now Gladys is barking and howling outside the computer room door.  She wants to be fed even though I have filled her food dish twice in the last 1/2 hour and 2 bowls of food sit in the kitchen just waiting for her.  Three hours ago she had a few bites of kibble and a bottle nutrient.
Sometimes I think I have created a monster - but at least she is interacting with me. Would I have chosen to foster Gladys? NO!  But I'm trying to give her the best I can and I'm glad to be her foster mom. Why consider adopting Gladys?  She is very sweet and low energy and even though she has difficulty understanding her world she just wants to be loved and cared for. 

8/4/07 - Gladys is back home after a stay in Conneticut with Michele and her family.  She did very well there except for eating solid food.  This has always been a problem - especially when she is in a different environment.  I think within a few more days she would have started eating kibble for Michele.  As soon as she got home and I did our dish filling routine ( my dog food dance as my husband calls it), Gladys was back eating dog food - never very much - but eating.  She definitely knew she was home - back to a familiar environment and routine. Being away from our home however shows she can adjust to a new family and new surroundings.  Gladys stayed with Michele while my husband and I visited my 80+ year old parents in Florida.  Usually we take Gladys with us but this time we
 wanted to take our BAR adopted dog, Ellie (Oct. 2005). Ellie has been diagnosed with an adrenal tumor
 (possibly a pheochromocytoma) and since we decided not to put her through surgery, we don't know how much longer she will be with us. Caution - I'm trying to keep this real.  Anyway, my son who normally keeps Ellie while we are away will not keep Gladys.  He has said that if he had Gladys he would allow her to go to her final resting place.  He sees no purpose or quality to Gladys' life. I don't see her life that way - I see a spark, a desire for life in her. While Gladys does have many problems and is not a "normal" dog, she deserves whatever life she has.  Isn't normal "just a setting on the washing machine"?  She is very sweet and low maintenance - except for the cost of
feeding her Ensure.  She is looking for her forever home but we will keep her and love her for however long she is here.

7/22/07 - Gladys has been with us 3 days and she is doing wonderfully.  The only concern we are experiencing
 is her lack of interest in solid food. But she is easily drinking the ensure from a syringe...which really isn't much different than feeding a baby a bottle.  We can confirm that she is deaf and has vision problems.  So when taking her outside, I walk in front of her through the house, stamping my feet and she finds her way to the door by following the vibration of my feet.  She is making great strides in walking down the 4 steps outside and has no difficulty with walking back up the steps to come in.
She is a DARLING!!!  Very sweet.  She is doing great with our 5 year old too!  We are definitely not home all the time and she does not have any problem with that. 
You just have to remember that she can't hear you and with the vision problems you need to just communicate with her differently - through vibrations and touch.  We (humans & Gladys) are learning this well and are developing a great method of communication this way.
We let her off-leash in our fenced in yard and she maneuvers around all the obstacles quite gracefully (tables, chairs, toys, etc.)
She would be the perfect addition to a family that is looking for a boxer for companionship, but might be weary of the typical boxers who need lots of attention, lots of exercise and lots of playing.  She is quite happy just lying around, being near by, and being loved.
We're looking forward to giving you further updates on Gladys while she is with us for the next week or so.

7/19/07 - Gladys’ foster family is taking a vacation, giving Gladys an opportunity to have a little vacation too!  Gladys will be staying with us at our Boxer Resort & Spa for the next week and a half.   She will be arriving later this afternoon.
We’re hoping with the experience we’ve had with some special needs boxers, that we’ll be able to give Gladys all the love and special care she needs on her retreat with us.  We look forward to giving you a few updates while she is staying with us.

6/26/07 - There is not much new to report on Gladys.  I have been trying to get her to eat a more normal diet with limited success.  I thought I had found a dog food she would eat consistently  - Royal Canin Boxer 26 - because the first time I gave it to her she really ate a lot.  However, that was the only time.  Now she only eats a few chunks at a time and I have to make her aware that I have filled her dish.  I make a big production out of getting her dish, shaking the food that is in it, getting the bag of food, pouring the uneaten food back into the bag, shaking the bag (and me), pouring the food back into her bowl, then finally setting the bowl down for her to eat.  She is no longer getting sausage with her dry food but is still getting 2 cans of liquid Ensure a day.  This is now her only form of liquid since she has stopped drinking from the toilet.  At least with these changes she has maintained her weight. 

 There also has been few changes in her interactions with people and other animals.  My husband has been working with her to make her more comfortable sitting and being touched and he thinks she is improving.  I have found that when she is in a calm state she does not mind being touched but still will snap and nip when afraid.  For this reason I would not recommend Gladys be around kids under 5 unsupervised.  Most of the time she is a calm, sweet dog - just not a "normal" dog.  Her sensory perception problems remain.  I wish I could change that but have accepted that I can't.  Gladys just needs a forever home that can keep her safe and allow her to be what she is.  She can not repond or give back to her owner as a normal dog but she has her "moments" when I can almost see the dog she could have become.  When she is hungry she will seek me out and bark and get excited and almost interact.  As annoying as her barking can be - I don't want to discourage this interaction.  If you have a fenced yard, lots of patience, and can handle the feeding issues please consider adopting Gladys.  She has a home here as long as she needs it but I only have room for two dogs.

5/9/07 - I have fostered Gladys for almost a year now – she arrived toward the end of May 2006. Not a lot has changed for her. She has become familiar with her environment so she is more comfortable. I decided to cut her Ensure supplement back to one can a day but she hasn’t started eating any more solid food to make up for it. So her weight is back to 37 ½ lbs. Some days it is one step forward two steps back. Guess it is not time to reduce her liquid supplement. Otherwise Gladys has been enjoying the warmer weather. However, I sure wish I had a fenced yard where she could have some freedom outside. She is still waiting for her forever home. I know Gladys has many problems and is never going to be able to behave like a normal dog but I am glad to be her foster mom. Caring for her reminds me how precious a life is – even if it isn’t perfect. 

4/20/07 - Gladys continues to gain weight. She is almost 39 lbs. and tonight when I picked her up to weigh her, she didn’t panic and snap at me. There are a few things about Gladys that anyone thinking about adopting her needs to know. First, I have been feeding her 2 cans of Ensure Plus a day and this has helped her gain weight. Also I know she is getting at least 700 calories a day. In addition I feed her about 1/3 lb. of sausage mixed with ½ cup of dry dog food each day. Sometimes she eats this, sometimes not. Problem is - this can be expensive. Twenty-four cans of Ensure costs $34.00 and doesn’t quite last 2 weeks. I’m hoping I can reduce this liquid supplement once she weighs over 40 lb. But she’s not there yet. Another issue is housetraining. There does not seem to be any way to housetrain Gladys completely since she doesn’t respond to treats, praise or touch. Therefore, a crate and a Bissell Spot Lifter are a necessity. Gladys can go 8 to 12 hours without going to the bathroom - when she is sleeping. However, once she wakes up she will go wherever she is – except in her crate. I crate her at night and sometimes during the day when I am out. If she needs to go during the night, she will bark until someone takes her out. She has only wet in her crate when I didn’t hear her in time. Most of the time she can be left out of her crate during the day for 3 to 4 hours without an problem.. However I have also returned home to a big mess - Gladys pooped in the house, walked in it, and tracked it all over. Last time I had to clean up 6 rooms – thank goodness for the Spot Lifter! Even better - I could have avoided the mess by just putting her in her crate. Living with Gladys has required a few adjustments but I’ve had almost a year to learn. She is not a difficult dog to live with as long as you understand her needs. I would like to be able to hug her and love her and give her life back but I can’t. So I give her a comfortable pillow, good food, a safe place to be, and space to do her own thing. Please consider adopting Gladys - maybe even fostering to adopt – since she is always going to be a special needs dog. She may not be able to give what a normal dog can but “she has her moments.” 

4/5/07 - It’s time for Gladys to find her forever home. She arrived here on the same transport as Jake Jr. and he is soon to be adopted. I can’t be her forever home and still be able to foster other boxers. I will miss her terribly because I have come to love and respect her. Gladys will always be a special needs boxer but she manages well in spite of her limitations and does not require a lot of care. I hope this update will focus on some of the progress she has made. It is sometimes hard to appreciate these changes when dealing with her day-to-day life. Gladys has learned where I usually sit and will come find me when she is hungry. She then barks to get my attention even if I’m not in that particular chair. Eventually she will go try another chair. She knows she has found me when I offer her my hand to smell. Then she gets really excited and will do a sort of dance and will follow me until she gets her food. She knows my house is her home. My husband and I took her with us to Florida for a couple weeks. She did very well - considering we visited three different homes - except for eating. When traveling Gladys only picks at her food and will only eat if she is very hungry. However, as soon as we got home – at 4 AM - she followed me - dancing around the kitchen until she was fed. She also went and found the open bag of dog food in the laundry room. One week in Florida we stayed at my son’s home and he has a fenced yard. It was nice to allow Gladys a little freedom outside without a leash. She was a little confused at first but adjusted well to the freedom. The warm weather and no snow were nice also. During the trip Gladys accepted being lifted into the car without becoming nervous and snapping. She still doesn’t like being lifted to be weighed but I am working on that. Gladys will now find her pillow when she wants to lie down even though she doesn’t always land on it.. Sometimes it is already occupied by a cat or by my boxer Ellie but that doesn’t bother Gladys. She doesn’t pay much attention to other animals but will sniff them if they are close to her. She will also come and sniff me if she is awake when I return home. Normally Gladys will jump away when touched but she has come to almost enjoy getting her chin and face washed after her feedings. These seem like only small interactions but they are much more than when she first arrived. I don’t know how much more Gladys can give but I have come to appreciate each little bit. I hope there is a family waiting to appreciate this special dog. I’ve included pictures of her at 38 lbs. – her ribs and hip bones don’t stick out nearly as much – and only 2 more pounds to 40!!!!

3/8/07 - Just a quick update on Gladys. She is gaining a little weight and now weighs 37 ½ lbs. So I will keep feeding her sausage, kibble and Ensure until she is over 40 lbs., Then I hope to gradually encourage her to eat a more normal diet. It will be a challenge since she will not try anything new. The Valentine’s Day snowstorm also was a challenge. Gladys just plowed through the snow but definitely didn’t like it. She finally decided she’d had enough and refused to move. She was much happier when the driveway finally got plowed and she could go out to do her business there rather than in the snow. Getting to the driveway required going down 6 additional stairs. Since Gladys doesn’t go down stairs well, I had to be sure I had a hold of her collar. A couple times she decided to go down all 6 in one flying leap but because I had a hold of her she couldn’t. We both will be much happier when the snow is gone. Gladys faces many difficulties in her life – imagine living with very little awareness or control of your environment – but somehow she manages. She is a sweet dog who needs to be loved and protected - sort of like caring for a baby. 

2/3/07 - It would be wonderful to report that Gladys now weighs 45 lbs. - however she only weighs 36 lbs. This is much better than 29 lbs. but she still has a ways to go. Gladys has been here 8 months and she made some improvements. She was abused as a puppy – possibly receiving a severe blow to the back of her head. This left her with sensory deficits. While all her senses respond to stimulation, her brain does not process the signals correctly. Therefore Gladys has difficulty with coordination, seeing, hearing and smelling. Her left side is more affected than her right side, so she can function fairly well with a few accommodations. She probably will never be a “normal” boxer with wiggles and kisses. Gladys was placed in a shelter after being abused and later adopted. After 5 years, the person who adopted her could no longer care for her and turned her over to BAR. It has not been difficult caring for Gladys - once I figured out what she could and couldn’t do. She does not respond to her name or any commands and probably is not able to. She will not accept treats of any kind – no cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, meat ,etc.– and does not like being touched. She probably is not able to be housetrained but she is able to wait 6 to 8 hours before going to the bathroom and will not go in her crate. As long as she is crated at night and let out during the day, I have few accidents in the house, She sleeps most of the time during the day so if I take her out right when she wakes up she goes to the bathroom outside. She likes to eat and enjoys being fed. However she does not eat very much and is very picky about what she will eat. She will eat only food that is in small pieces and has a strong odor and taste. I have found a mix of sausage and a strong flavored dry kibble works best. I also supplement her food each day with 2 cans of liquid nutrient such as Ensure Plus. Hopefully, she will not need this once she gains some more weight. The supplement must be fed to Gladys with a syringe since she will not drink from a bowl. She will only drink water from the toilet so I make sure she has access to the bathroom. She usually pays little attention to other people or animals but she will come and sniff me whenever I return home. She also interacts with me when she wants food – usually wandering around the house until she finds me and then barking to get my attention. She can find me only if I move and she is close enough to smell my hand. She mostly ignores my cats except to sniff them if they are close to her. Gladys walks well on a leash but does not do well on a tie out stake or a cable run. She gets tangled in the rope or cable and then panics. She cannot be off leash because she wanders off – usually toward the road or into the woods. A fenced yard with few obstructions would be nice so she could have some freedom outside. Gladys needs help walking up and down stairs and can only handle a few. She can walk up easier than down except steep stairs. A steadying hand on her collar is usually all the help she needs. While the quality of Gladys’ life is not great, she does the best she can and I try to make her as comfortable as possible. She is ready for her forever home – some person or family who will accept her as she is, and allow her to live the rest of her life in safety and comfort. Except for feeding and walking, she doesn’t require a lot. Don’t be afraid of her limitations – she deals with them everyday. Although she cannot give back like a normal dog, I am glad to be her foster mother. 

1/15/07 - There is not much new to report on Gladys. She is eating a little better most days and has put on a few pounds. She is now back to 34 lbs. She got a new coat for Christmas as you can see in the pictures. Since she doesn't have any fat on her body to help keep her warm, I figured she needed some help, especially after she had a respiratory infection in December and stopped eating. I am still feeding her two cans of liquid supplement a day, hoping she will gain some more weight. Many thanks to Gary for getting her a case of the liquid supplement with that and Ensure Plus I hope to keep Gladys healthy. Gladys' vet, who had been keeping her supplied with the supplement, died suddenly; so I am thankful to find another source. Gladys also is getting better about being touched. Most of the time she will let me wash her face, help her up and down stairs, and put on her coat without becoming scared. Weighing Gladys and washing her feet is still a challenge but I am working on that. I may try Wellington's Touch Therapy on Gladys.- it has been shown to help reestablish body-brain connections so it may help her. 

12/21/06 - Gladys is feeling better now.  The discharge from her nose has cleared up and she is eating much better - sausage & kibble 3 times a day.   She only is eating a small amount each time but at least she is eating.   She is not drinking much so I have given up on tying to get her to drink out of her water dish - at least for now.  She has gotten better about being touched and doesn't pull away as quickly.  She will even let me help her down the stairs.  Also she has started to find  her dog pillow to lay down on rather than plopping down wherever she is.  Not that she always lands on the pillow after having to turn around until she is dizzy but she tries.  I have increased her liquid nutrient supplement to 2 cans a day to add to her daily calorie intake.  I hope this will help her gain some weight so each time she is not feeling well and stops eating it won't become a crisis.  I was very afraid I was going to lose her this last time.  Gladys is not yet ready for her forever home but there is a special person or family somewhere waiting to adopt her.  I wish I could but my husband keep telling me NO.   Gladys will spend this holiday safe and warm with my family.  Merry Christmas.

12/13/06 - Gladys has not been doing well the last couple weeks.  She is eating and drinking very little and is having more difficulty walking and moving.  Two days ago she stopped eating any dried food and sausage. A visit to the vet yesterday confirmed she has lost weight and her blood sugar level is low.  She also has a respiratory infection.  She now weighs only 29 lbs. and she can't lose too much more.  The infection has affected her sense of smell so food does not appeal to her.  The vet put her on an antibiotic and I've increased her nutrient supplement from a half a can to almost 3 cans a day since that has become her only source of calories and fluid.  At least she still enjoys that.  Right now it does not look too good for Gladys.  Please send her positive thoughts and keep her in your prayers.

11/9/06 - Gladys is official now, she has her BAR tag. I am still trying to increase her weight and get her to drink out of a water dish instead of the toilet. My husband finally made a stand for her toilet-shaped water dish so now it is almost as high as the toilet. I've placed it in front of the toilet and put down the cover so her only access to water is the water dish. It's been almost two days and so far she hasn't tried drinking from the dish yet. Guess all I can do is wait and see. I know she is still getting some fluid from her sausage and the liquid supplement. I've cut back her liquid nutrient to once a day and I'm starting to use a commercial high protein product called Boost. Gladys made her first home visit with me this week and she did very well. She was not stressed going to a new house and meeting another boxer and a new person. The only problem she had was with the stairs to the second floor apartment. Gladys definitely can NOT handle a lot of stairs, especially uncarpeted stairs. At my house she only has three carpeted stairs which she climbs easily going up but very slowly going down. She did let me carry her down the apartment stairs without panicking and snapping at me so she is making a little progress with being held and touched. If you have a place in your heart for a special needs dog please consider adopting Gladys. She really is very sweet and gentle most of the time. She has special needs because her perception of the world is not that of a normal dog. She sees but has difficulty processing what she sees, she hears but can't locate the sound. All she needs is a safe home in a confusing world.

10/25/06 - Gladys is still making slow progress.  Some days she eats well and other days she eats very little.  I have gotten her to wiggle her tail a little - when she wants food and she is barking at me she gets excited (or anxious) and then her tail starts moving.  It's not much but at least I know she is interested in something.  We took her to the training session on Sunday and she was content to be in her crate most of the day.  We wanted other people in BAR to meet Gladys and to see if Kim could help with Gladys' panic attacks. Kim was quickly able to hold Gladys and pick her up without Gladys panicking and snapping. Now we know how to handle Gladys when she panics and that it will not stress her.  Since we've been home, I've been holding and touching her more.  As a fairly new foster home - Gladys is my second foster - I was not prepared for what I got with Gladys but I have come to love this little dog. Problems and all she will steal your heart.  All she needs is patience and understanding - and a fenced yard would be nice too.

10/9/06 - Nothing new to report on Gladys.  I hope I haven't been too negative about her.  She has her problems but she is a survivor.  She even has moments when she is almost cute.  Life with her is always interesting but not a lot of work once you get used to her disabilities.  She seems to do well on a schedule and spends her days eating or sleeping.  Once in a while she seems to want attention but usually she just wants food.  I still give her a liquid nutrient supplement twice a day but I've started to reduce the amount of sausage she gets with her dry kibble.  She will only eat a little at a time so I try to offer her dry food several times a day.  Gladys will always be a special needs dog but she has made progress.  She's not able to respond to me like a normal dog but I think she knows her needs will be met and she will be safe. It's not hard to love her even though she doesn't return that love.

9/28/06 - Gladys's update is way overdue but there really is not much new to report.  She will come looking for me when she thinks she should have something to eat but she can't always find me so she paces back and forth.  She has trouble locating people who aren't moving possibly due to her impaired sight and hearing.  She will greet me and other people coming into the house by sniffing them.  She still moves away if anyone tries to touch her but sometimes she will accept me rubbing her back or under her chin. She has had such a terrible start to her life that she really deserves a special person or family of her own.

9/1/06 - Gladys is a "special needs" boxer and she is looking for a very special forever home.  I would adopt her but then I would not be able to foster any more dogs.  Since my husband and I travel a lot, we can handle only two dogs.  She is not much trouble and she is really sweet -  just not a typical, friendly, exuberant boxer.  For the most part she is housetrained as long as she is crated at night and let out a couple of times during the day.  She has started to bark when she needs to go out and when she is hungry (sometimes she seems to be constantly hungry).  I still haven't been able to convince her she can drink from a bowl rather than the toilet.  A visit to a new vet last week for a second opinion was not encouraging.  After examining her and observing her for quite a while, he said that her vision, sense of smell, and fine coordination were not normal.  This could have been caused by a severe blow to the back of her head.  Bottom line - an expensive evaluation at Cornell to be sure or accepting Gladys as she is. He did not think she was suffering or in a lot of pain - just not able to enjoy life to its fullest.  She does enjoy eating - especially sausage and her nutrition supplement, so her life is not that bad.  She needs  a family that will provide love, nourishment, and acceptance, where she can live the rest of her life safely.

8/18/06 - GREAT NEWS - Gladys now weighs 35 lb.  That doesn't seem like much but it has taken nearly 3 months to put on those three pounds.  Her appetite has been good this last week so I hope she will continue to gain weight. The vet took her off the pain medication because it didn't have much effect on her ability to move.  Also, the result of her heartworm/Lymes test was negative. Gladys has had a busy summer - she has met many new people and dogs and has not been stressed out.  She has been especially good around young children ( 4 years old and older) and does not seem to mind them touching her.  However, when adults try to touch her she will still move away.  This last week she has started to bark at us to get our attention - mostly when she wants food but once in a while when she needs to go out.  I'm not sure this is a really good development since she can be quite
persistent and annoying but at least she is starting to interact with us more. She still has accidents in the house if I'm not diligent about getting her outside every 5 or 6 hours but she is able to wait that long and overnight also. I'm becoming more hopeful about her future. 

8/8/06 - Gladys still has not gained weight and she is still a picky eater.  When she eats her dry food she
makes a lot of noise but is usually only moving the food around.   The vet has been trying her on
different pain medications to see if any will help her move easier. So far I haven't noticed much
of a difference.  Getting Gladys to take the pills is a challenge.  Small pills are easy using a
pill popper but large pills are a problem.  She will not eat treats so I can't hide the pill in
something.  She doesn't always eat her sausage so I can't mix the pill in that.  Holding her head and
sticking the pill in the back of her mouth only causes her to panic.   I have learned to be
creative and am currently dissolving her pill in a liquid nutrition supplement and giving that to her
through a syringe.  Gladys likes the supplement so she will accept the syringe.
Gladys also tends to panic when she gets tangled in her leash or when the leash becomes too tight
around her neck.  For this reason she does not do well on a cable run or a tie-out stake.  A
fenced yard would be best for her.  She is starting to come sniff me when I return home.  I would give
anything to get a boxer wiggle from her but accept what Gladys is able to give. I have learned to
be happy with each "baby step" forward.

7/17/06 - Gladys continues her slow progress. She seems to prefer her dry dog food "fresh" out of the bag
rather than what is left over in her food dish. So I will take her dish and return the leftover food to the bag and then refill the dish.  She will follow me (really her food dish) from the kitchen to the laundry room and back while I refill the dish. She is due for another weight check at the vet this week.  However I don't think she has gained much. I would like to see her gain about 10 - 15 lb. before she is adopted - or at least find the reason she is not not gaining weight.  Anyone considering adopting Gladys should know that she is still shy, quiet, and easily frightened. She will need a special family who will accept and love her as she is.  I have grown very fond of her but she is not like any other dog I have known.  She will respond to me and my family in a rather limited way which may still improve with time.  There have been small positive changes I have seen in her behavior during the 8 weeks she has been here.  One important note  - Gladys does not do
well off leash unless she is very closely watched.  She tends to lose her way and wander off - usually toward the road.   We have room to allow her some freedom but she probably needs a fenced yard.

7/6/06 - Gladys has been with us about 6 weeks now and progress has been slow.  A trip to the vet today for a weight check showed that she still is not gaining weight.  She is eating well but is only 32lb.  I have some new pills to give her so I'll see what they do.  Gladys has a couple other little quirks besides needing sausage mixed in with her dry food..  She needs to circle before she lays down - not just once or twice but many, many times.  Often she circles until she is dizzy and falls down.  My nephew's son thinks we should rename her Twister or Tornado.  Her other quirk is that she has to bark at her food before she will eat it.  She is such a quiet dog that it is surprising to hear her bark at the food but then I know she is ready eat it. I have been checking her vision and am pretty sure she does not see out of her left eye.  I can move my hand to almost touching that eye without any response from Gladys.  If I try that with the other eye she will blink or turn away.  This may explain why she has difficulty going down stairs.  We have not attempted to have her sleep in our upstairs bedroom because she would have to climb stairs.  She is still sleeping in the crate at night and does not give us any problems going into it.  Initially, she didn't like the crate but today she even went in on her own for a nap.  As long as she sleeps in the crate, she does not go to the bathroom in the house at night. She still has a long way to go to be able to trust people and this needs to happen before she can be housetrained.  She does not yet respond to touch, treats or praise.  

6/30/06 - Gladys still is not gaining weight but she is showing a LITTLE improvement in her interactions
with us.  I emphasize little because she is still far from a normal boxer.  She is less fearful and
more relaxed around us.  She will approach me when I'm fixing her food.  However she will withdraw
from touching,  from her leash and many other things.  I am still feeding her sausage with her
kibble since that seems entice her to interact.  She is eating well, just not putting on any weight. 
We're trying to figure out why, but it hasn't helped that I was away for the last week and my
husband was in charge.  I have not been able to get her back to the vet for a weight check because
when I got home most of this area was flooded and many roads closed.  Fostering Gladys is certainly
an interesting and challenging experience.  Hopefully I am making progress.

6/19/06 - Gladys continues to eat fairly well as long as sausage is involved.  I have also found some dry
dog food she seems to like.  Unfortunately, a recheck at the vet showed that she had lost weight.  The vet doesn't think she is digesting her food so she is on medication to help with the digestion.  The toilet-shaped water dish arrived but Gladys will not drink out of it.  It was worth a try and maybe I can convince her to drink out of it if I can find a way to raise it up about a foot.  She continues to have accidents in the house when we don't get her outside soon enough.  We are working on the words "in" and "out" but I'm not sure if she is making any connections between the words and actions.  She does not respond to treats or praise so it is very difficult to reach her.  She will respond to me working in the kitchen - rattling pots and pans.  Then she will actually come up to me and look at me.  So she associates that noise with food and she loses some of her fear of humans. 
In addition to her low weight, Gladys has several other health problems. She has great difficulty bending and sitting.  When going to the bathroom she will balance on her front legs.  It seems painful for her to put weight on her back legs. Also I don't think she sees well.  She has trouble going down stairs, she runs into things, and she has tried several times to eat a spot on the kitchen floor next to her food dish.  Sometimes she just seems overwhelmed with living. 
On a more positive note, Gladys is becoming a little more relaxed around us and is showing slightly more interest in her environment.  She still has a long way to go and some days she goes backwards.  Keep her in your thoughts.

6/9/06 - Gladys continues to make progress with eating.  She is eating about 2/3 lb. ground sausage and 2 cups of dry kibble (mixed with the sausage) a day.  With help from a BAR volunteer I have even found a toilet shaped water dish which is currently on order.  I really wasn't expecting to find such a dish!!  I hope the dish will be there when we get home.  Because my parents needed help in Florida, we made a sudden trip there
this last week.  Gladys came with us and rode very well for the 20 hour trip.  I was pleased that she continued to eat even though we had to change her living space so soon after she came to us.   Gladys continues
to show interest and almost even excitement when the sausage is cooking.  Now if she would only shows interest in other things.  She is allowing me to massage her neck and shoulders for about 5 minutes a day - without tensing up.  We are making "baby" steps forward.

6/6/06 - Gladys is eating and drinking on her own now.  She is even eating dried dog food.  However, she will only drink out of the toilet.  I hope to eventually get her to drink out of something else but am also looking for
a white, porcelain, toilet-shaped water dish.  Yesterday was the first time she really showed interest in something and that was the pork chops my mother was cooking for dinner.  Of course Gladys got to sample some.  She ate quite a lot yesterday and today so she should start putting on some much needed weight.  I am still giving her the nutritional supplement since she needs the extra calories. Her fecal exam was negative, so we don't need to worry about parasites.

Gladys is still very withdrawn - no wiggles or kisses from this girl - at least not yet. I hope her interest in food can lead to her becoming interested in other things.  She is not completely housebroken but she will not go to the bathroom in her crate.  She has not had too many accidents in the house since she is crated at night and taken out several times during the day.   She only went to the bathroom in the house when I was too busy and did not take her out soon enough..  She usually goes into the crate without a fuss but does not really want to go in.  Sometimes she will snap and refuse to go in the crate.  She will sometimes snap when we try to make her do something she doesn't want to do.  For these reasons I would not recommend Gladys being place in a family with young children - at least for now.  Maybe later - if  she can learn to trust again.  Also she needs a family that is home most of the time so she is only crated at night.  She does not know any commands and doesn't  seem to know her name - so I'm not sure how much she can be trained.  Also she has great difficult bending and sitting.  Once she puts on some weight, I will see what can be done with this problem.

Gladys is slowly making progress  I am seeing some positive signs so I will continue to take one day at a time.
 

5/26/06 - Just a quick update.  Gladys finally started eating today!!!!  It took cooking a sweet Italian sausage especially to tempt her but she finally decided she could eat it.  Later she decided to try some dry dog food.  She still is not drinking on her own yet but at least she is eating.

5/25/06 - Gladys has been here 5 days and we are all still adjusting.  She is not much of a problem except that she is still not eating or drinking on her own.  Although, she was really interested in some sausage tonight but she wouldn't try to eat it. Maybe tomorrow she will.  Maybe tomorrow she try the peanut butter cookies I baked today to tempt her.  The vet has given her some pills to stimulate her appetite so maybe they will help.  The good news is that her blood tests were all normal.  She is still withdrawn and spends most of her time sleeping.  She does walk well on the leash.  Kim and Sheila have been a great help with suggestions on how to reach Gladys.  For now it is one day at a time.

5/20/06 - Gladys arrived yesterday.  She is a very sweet, quiet boxer who is quite withdrawn.  She was abused as a puppy and now shows some autistic behaviors.  She does not interact with people or other animals.  She is extremely underweight at 32 lbs. and so far is not eating.  After a trip to the vet this morning, I now have a nutritional liquid I can feed her and that seems to be staying down.  The first step is to put on some weight and get her healthy then try to work on her emotional wounds.  Gladys has a long way to go but when she is healthy she will make someone a loyal companion.  Keep Gladys in your prayers.

From our transport volunteer Jack - I picked up a new little boy at the shelter in Manhattan who is as sweet as can be. Sat in the seat next to me the entire trip and laid his head on my lap. Also picked up sweet little Gladys in New Jersey who went straight to the back seat of the car and laid down the entire 2 1/2 hour trip. Met Ruth and her husband in Roscoe, NY right on schedule. They both will make wonderful companions to anyone that can shower them with love and affection. They both can use a little more meat on their bones. Good luck sweet babies - will be thinking about you and will follow your journey on the website.