*Update Sam's Profile is up -- Saved a life yesterday, and now I need to save my carpet!!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Update#2: Sam's profile is up. If you know anyone in the Ottawa area please share: http://www.hopefulhearts.ca/adoptables/2013-139.htm

Update with Pictures.

Yesterday I went to a certain shelter to scoop up a sweet boy that was about to be sentenced to the gas chamber (yes that's right, :-(  the gas chamber). Not sure how anyone could deem this sweet special boy as unworthy of being put up for adoption but they say black dogs take too long to get adopted so they don't try.  Other than having black fur, which is apparently a grave crime, he is amazing. Sweet as pie, trained, obedient, cuddly, playful, friendly with my dogs and cat, ... perfect. And when he got home, he was STARVING.

I was told by the rescue I'm fostering him for that when the dogs are scheduled to be euthanized they don't bother feeding them anymore. (They also don't bother walking them it seems as he had peed and pooped in his cage and wasn't cleaned up. So he got a good bath when we got home.)

He ate up a whole bowl of food, and then took all of winston's and sophie's leftovers. I stopped him eventually but man he was so hungry I felt sorry for him. Even after eating some of the homemade chicken parmasean dog buscuits that Sophie and Winston made for him ;-) he was still famished. I tried to offer him Peanut Butter in a kong as a bedtime snack but he wasn't interested in PB. So I popped more of the homemade treats into the kong and put him in his crate. He was fine at first but started making a fuss halfway through the night. I caved and let him out. I kept him in my room instead. He went out in the yard before bed and again at 1am so I thought he should be good till morning.

I woke up this morning to the sound similar to the the last bits of ketchup being squeezed out of the bottle. 'Torrential' is the only way to describe what occurred in my bedroom this morning (and then subsequently all over my back yard).

After going through constant bouts of diarrhea with sophie for her first year or so I know I should have known better, but this guy needed all the love (and food) he could get and I couldn't say no to a little extra food and leaving him in a crate just seemed so mean after all he's been through.  Anyway, he is resting now and feeling much better, but I have a literal 'sh!t storm' to clean up in my bedroom. I am tempted to just brun my bedroom to the ground and cordon it off permenantly. I'm not really sure how I'm ever going to sleep in there again, and I may end up with PTSD when this is all done, but I will go out today and finally buy myself a steam cleaner. I don't think a simple spot bot is going to do as I have a lot of area to cover. I'm thinking of getting a more powerful upright carpet cleaner like the Hoover Power Scrub Delux Cleaner or something along those lines.

I know from previous discussions that the spotbot is well recommended, but does anyone have good bad experiences with upright carpet cleaners? ...anyone know where I can get a hazmat suit? ...

Otherwise, words of sympathy and encouragement are welcome to help me get through the clean up. This is not going to be a fun day (although, totally worth the experience of saving a life!)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Oh Sherri, no good deed goes unpunished. But you did a major good deed and one hopes that will be repaid to you through some kind of karma. I cannot believe they starve dogs scheduled to be euthanized. Even prisoners convicted of heinous crimes,get a special last meal.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

me neither F. I don't even know what to say.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

First, bless you for saving this boy. 

Second, he needs a fecal. If the shelter didn't even feed him, they for sure didn't test for parasites or treat him for fleas or worms.

I have no experience with carpet steamers, so I'll let the others help with that. I'm sorry this good deed has caused so much stress, but I know that you know he's worth it.  

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Karen. They are setting him up with a vet appointment this week-end, but my guess is this was just the food as his poop in the cage at the shelter was perfect. I checked his paperwork and it seems he used to eat royal canin, so I guess I will grab a small bag and see if that helps until i switch him to Fromm which is the food the rescue uses. I really should have known better, i should have  done that in the first place. I guess it all just happened too fast. Now I will be better prepared for next time.

and yes it is worth it. It is worth every last morsel of poop. He has the most beautiful eyes. He is only 6 mos old. Makes me sick that he was dumped there.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Unless you know the exact formula of RC he was eating, (there are dozens),  I'd choose an LID formula in one of the better brands. 

When you have a chance, please post photos. 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I will. I was told at first not to share his photo or to tell anyone his name until it was a done deal. I'm waiting for the 'go ahead'...

I think maybe I might do a boiled hamburger, pumpkin and rice regine for a few days until I'm confident his system has settled. It worked for Sophie...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Keep receipts from anything you buy for him, including the food. You will either get reimbursed by the rescue, or it's a charitable donation, and should be tax deductible. 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I have a Hoover SteamVac Silver.  It has a  hand attachment also for those small spots.  It can also be used on hard floors and furniture.  Works just fine.  I don't use store-bought carpet cleaners.  I just use vinegar and water.  You really might not want any dog on the wet floor exposed to some of those carpet cleaners. Make sure you read the warnings on the label.

Can you call a vet and get some Pro Pectalin Tablets?For us they work wonders on the upper and lower GI tract and really don't medicate the dog. 

Do you think it's just all that food or a parasite caught in the shelter? 

I'm sorry, Sherri. I've been through this with foster dogs and it is traumatic. 

He will repay you and Thank You a 100 times over.  My Thanks and Love already to you now

[jenn D]

What an angel you are for saving this boy! I'm so sorry about the poops. I use various carpet cleaning aids and lot of natures miracle items. After stuff like this make sure you clean out your machine really well. Also boiling vinegar can help reduce the smell in the house. I also use vinegar alot for cleaning.
And I didn't know that about black dogs and not being adopted!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jenn, you'll find this discussion informative: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/the-black-dog-of-depressio...

[Miss Ellie]

Sheri...you are nothing short of a guardian angel/hero for this very special, sweet boy.  Bless you for your kindness & compassion...you are a very special person and I wish you much happiness!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

thanks Miss Ellie :)