Milo's Story

Milo Picture Gallery

Progress Reports

Background

Milo is a neutered 1 year old brown and white puppy who started out life knowing only cruelty. His hind legs were wired together and he chewed off his back paw to escape the pain. His hind leg was amputated to save his life. He suffers from pain anxiety and may have some major nerve damage in his other paw, so he must wear a collar to prevent him from hurting his other leg.

Milo is blessed with love and gentleness. A real wiggler, he gives kisses galore, loves to run on his three legs and enjoys hugs. Milo is a work in progress as we continue to provide veterinary care to solve his physical problems. Any help to keep him going would be appreciated.

Progress Reports

Dec 20, 2007

Little Milo has the Christmas spirit! He has been his usual joyful self with some added gusto! He has been getting presents already and of course badgers us to open them for him. (He knows the word "present"!) His latest adventures include spotting a bird that accidentally entered the house. He was quite taken with it and spends much time during the day looking upward for the BIRD (who has long since flown away). One evening last week he managed to spot a wee mouse who emerged from under the refrigerator en route to the dog food bowl. Milo was mesmerized by this as he watched the mouse help himself to a nugget from the bowl and retreat hastily back under the refrigerator. It suddenly dawned on Milo that this was a "happening" and he should be on guard for such intruders! So now he spends much time in the evenings waiting for the MOUSE! BIRD during the day...MOUSE at eventide!

Milo continues to get around fairly well...all things considered. His determination and love of life make up for his challenges. It is doubtful he will ever become adoptable however, as he continues to require much care and has no bladder or bowel control as a result of his injuries. He will continue to live in the house and enjoy the company of dear old Homer, playing with Auggie and teasing our 19 yr old Dutty as well as three legged Syd who was returned to us at the age of 12 years last year.

Hopefully we'll get some photos of Milo's Christmas to share with you later next week. I know Milo wishes you the happiest Christmas and holidays! Of course, we wish you the same and are truly grateful for your help. Because of you, Milo and all the rescue dogs will have full tummies, warm beds, stockings filled with goodies and hope in their hearts.

With visions of forever homes and love to all,
Dale and all of us at Russell Refuge

Sep 9, 2007

Milo continues to do well. We are beyond using his new bought wheels since he seems to be improving with each day on the strength of his remaining back leg. The wheels are off to the side for now, perhaps one day they will be used. Milo has been very active in the public relations department. He went with Dale to NY City and three other Refuge dogs to woo the public at the wildly popular Broadway Barks. Milo loved all the attention, gave tons of kisses for free and reminded everyone that rescuing a dog is the most important thing to do if you are adding a pet to your family. He also reminded people that cruelty to animals is not to be tolerated but that those creatures that have been harmed can forgive and would like to have a new home where they can truly show wonderful they are as companions. It was a busy and successful day and Milo came home late to find he was quite tuckered out!!!

Milo then went to the Rhinebeck Farmers market with Pauline where he again was an ambassador for dogs in need and the Refuge. It was one of the hottest days of the year (steamy NY hot) and he weathered it well in many people's arms and again distributing good cheer and kisses.

Again Milo accompanied Dale, Pauline, and Tammy to the beautiful Exceller Farm for a day where the Thoroughbred Retreat Foundation focused on rescued thoroughbreds off the track. The day was filled with lots of horse activity, horse adoptions and yes dog rescue adoptions. It was a beautiful day under the trees and many people stopped by to see Milo and Tammy's rescue JRT form MA.

Then to finish the summer of public relations Milo was at the Dutchess County Fair with Tammy, Sharon, Dale and a slew of volunteers who manned the Refuge booth. So with summer coming to a close and the fall coolness and leaves changing, Milo continues his acupuncture and hopes that all his public relations efforts will bring lots of people in to the Refuge to adopt a homeless JRT and give them a forever home. So as you can see Milo has had a very very busy summer telling people all about the Refuge and showing everyone who listens how wonderful rescuing a dog can be.

Donate to Help Milo

We have added some charms to our gift store to raise money to support Milo. The Birthstone collection includes two charms - a silver heart charm and a "Top Dog" bowl charm.  Both charms include a choice of twelve different Swarovski crystals - one for each month. Buy one for yourself or send it as a gift. The proceeds from these charms help with Milo's long term care and feeding.

Donate to Help Milo

May 29, 2007

New pictures of Milo and his buddy Homer have been added to the Milo picture gallery.

Donate to Help Milo

May 15, 2007

Dear little Milo continues to live life to the fullest here at the refuge. This winter he was brought into the house as the kennel was a bit difficult for him with snow in the runs (even though we kept them shoveled) as well as the frozen ground on the stump of his amputated hind leg. Of course he has taken to house living very well! He has a buddy named Homer. To get the picture, you must know about Homer. Homer is a very old Jack Russell mix. We are not sure of the exact mix, but it appears to be some sort of hound ...perhaps Beagle. Homer was found in a high kill shelter and was destined to be put to sleep. A rescue worker phoned us last fall and asked if we would take Homer in and put him to sleep in a "nice " way, so he would not have to suffer the indignities of a shelter death. We agreed. But when Homer arrived, as soon as he stepped out of the car, I knew we would make every effort to give this dear old man happy time until life became too painful for him.

Homer is all white, broken coated with bushy eyebrows and hound-like ears. He looked up at me on that day with cloudy old eyes, wagged his tail and with a true hound voice said "WOO WOO". His walking was hampered by an orange sized tumor on an elbow, the odor of rotting teeth was noticeable from across the driveway and he had slight tremors in his hind legs as he tried to summon a gentlemanly dignity as he approached me. Here was the dearest, kindest of dogs, uncared for and discarded at the end of his days.

The next day we visited the vet to get an idea of exactly how bad his condition was and if he could be kept free of pain ...at least for awhile. His exam turned out well and he stole the hearts of the vets, who said he could still have a quality of life for a time, with care and some TLC. They were so moved by this old guy that they offered to remove the tumor and clean his teeth free of charge. Homer returned the following day and has never looked back. He seems to have a new lease on life and although he cannot move faster than a somewhat stilted walk, he is thoroughly enjoying being alive and loved and he is totally attached to Milo. The feeling is mutual and they can often be found snuggled up together. Homer has taken it upon himself to clean Milo's ears, wash Milo's face, and generally look after him like a mother hen. We call him Uncle Homer.

Of course Homer is in the house too and oversees Milo's antics. Milo has no idea that he, himself, has a handicap and has managed to overcome the doggie door by struggling to get in and out of it with a true Jack Russell attitude. He can pull himself around on his two front legs faster than most dogs can run.

He now goes for acupuncture once a week which helps relieve the soreness in his back due to being lopsided. Ursula , our massage and energy balancing volunteer, works on him weekly. We did buy him wheels, but he is a little unsure of them and seems to delight in challenging himself and "go go go" in whatever fashion he comes up with, which changes by the moment. He delights in his toys and is a "smiler" . It's not unusual for him to hurl himself toward me with a big grin, bringing a toy and quite simply just being one of the most joyful of dogs! He loves having company and greets all at the door with the same enormous grin. It remains to be seen whether he will ever truly have use of the other hind leg.

His medical needs are complex. Milo has generated donations that have enabled us to give him the best of care. He receives gifts from all over and has truly touched the hearts of many. We are very grateful to all of you who have contributed to his well-being. I hope in return you have the reward of knowing you are helping this deserving little dog experience and enjoy life. It would not be possible with out you. We think Uncle Homer helps too!

Donate to Help Milo

May 5, 2007

Milo continues to live in Dale's house upstairs with 18 year old Oddie, very elderly Homer, three legged Sid and his best pal young Auggie. What a zoo. Milo continues to get his acupuncture weekly with his vet Dr. Greg Tumolo, and it certainly eases his maneuverability and pain, and seems to work for short periods of time until it is back to the vets for his weekly session. We do think it is effective in making him more comfortable so we will continue this for the time being. It is definite that he has a spinal cord injury - not only the nerve damage to his rear legs. As a result he has no control of any bowel movements and thus makes him a poor candidate to ever be housetrained. He is now taking to occasionally wearing Dale's famous "pee band" to at least keep some normalcy in the house. Even the dog door to the deck seems not to matter in the least. When Milo is excited or when anyone comes to greet him there is no telling what will happen!!!

You have to love this little man though. He continues to play exuberantly, races around the house and deck like a madman, and occasionally loses his balance and skids out around the corners. He smiles throughout. What joy this little dog has brought to the Refuge and what fun he always is. Ursula also continues to work weekly with him doing massage and some new aroma therapy which is working wonderfully. You will become a believer when you see what it does for Milo. We are all pleased with these sessions as is Ursula - the many hours she volunteers her time doing therapy with the dogs has made such a difference in so many of the worst cases we get in. Her calmness and magic fingers are truly a gift to the Refuge dogs. Milo is a total bag of jelly when she gets done with him and it is the only time in the week we see him QUIET.

This dog is such a true JRT - it would be quite something if he had been able to have all his legs!!! For now the prognosis on adoption is still up in the air. We are not sure whether it would ever be feasible since there is never going to be any semblance of house cleanliness. It would need to be one darn devoted JRT fan to be able to cope with his injuries and wild Jack character. We will be taking pictures soon of him since spring is once upon us here at the Refuge.

We once again seem to be taking in a record number of surrenders, last week on one day we got 27 e-mails from the east coast alone - they must be growing on trees. We do our best to take in who we can and to find the best homes possible. We feel fortunate to have so many dedicated supporters who make it all doable and to help us through such lengthy rescue projects such as with Milo. But we never give up on any of JRTs in our care and eventually, even those who are the toughest seem to find their niche, new family or their corner of the Refuge.

Thank you from Milo, the volunteers and all the Jacks at the Refuge.

February 8, 2007

Milo had a set back last week. His roommate pulled off his neck brace and Milo decided that the other foot had to go - but thank goodness he did not make a total mess of his remaining hind paw, he did get it nicely infected though so a vet visit was in order. The newest member of the veterinary staff is an acupuncturist and he has started Milo on a weekly acupuncture schedule. The first two sessions actually seemed to work well, and he tends to use his hind foot more often than not, which is great news. Alas, it wears off before the new session begins so he drags his rear around a lot - one way to slim down I guess.

Milo is having great trouble using the wheels we purchased for him, they need to be adjusted again and so we have been unable to make much progress on training, he also resists it because he prefers to drag his rump, and now that we have snow on the ground we put the wheels on hold. He does continue to bring us great joy with that continued good spirit and joy, plays with his old pal a lot as well as many other dogs in the house, he is an amazing bundle of glee and energy.

We do continue to work on his leg functions, we are a little discouraged, but we will not give up - this is one precious life worth fighting for - thank you all again on keeping in touch and supporting the Milo fund, we are every grateful. Kindly the Russell Refuge volunteers

January 14, 2007

New pictures of Milo have been added to the Milo picture gallery.

January 4, 2007

Thanks to all of the donations in his name, Milo now has wheels! A few adjustments need to be made before the wheels are just right and using them takes some training. We are very pleased with his progress thus far but he's not quite an A student as he is easily distracted by his roommate, and one of his best buddies, Homer. What a pair they are...Homer is an old guy who was abandoned by his owners and Milo is a youngster who was abused by his owners.

Though it is likely that Milo's other leg has suffered permanent nerve damage, we are working with vets and trying different things to save his leg. He wears a cuff around his neck to keep him from chewing on his foot and between training (and Homer!), he does not fuss about it. The cuff is removed several times a day so he can just mess around in the yard with Dale's dogs. And if it's raining, he spends that time inside just running amok like the others.

Milo has brought much joy to the Refuge. His stellar smile continues to woo all who meet him and his joy for life and affection for humans is a testament to the forgiving nature of these creatures. Again, our sincere thanks to everyone who has made it possible for us to continue to work with Milo in hopes that he may some day find his forever home.

Stay tuned for updates about Milo's antics and training school report card. Photos of him with his wheels coming soon.

Thank you all, from Milo and the volunteers at the Refuge

Russell Refuge, Inc. 501(c)(3) Status

Russell Refuge, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. All donations made to Russell Refuge are tax-deductible to the contributor. Donations can be made by Pay Pal on this site or by check payable to Russell Refuge, Inc. and sent to:

Russell Refuge, Inc.
PO Box 725
Attn: Donation for Milo
Rhinebeck, NY 12572