Harry is an over 20 year old Miniature Poodle, who I have had for about 2.5 years now. He has really touched my heart with his struggle to stay alive. When we first got him, he was in such bad condition we even doubted having him for a month. So, off we went to the vet, only to find out that his trachea was collapsing, all of his organs were shutting down, slightly deaf and blind, and he has muscle degeneration in his back legs. To look at him, you would think he had starved for many weeks. There was no layer of fat between his bones and his skin, not even a thin layer. But, between numerous trips to the vet each month, having his rotten teeth pulled out, arthritis tablets everyday and other tablets to help reduce all the fluid around his lungs and heart, he has survived. He has made not only me proud of him, but he should also be proud of himself. At the moment, he has a bad heart murmur, rated at 4 out of 5 for severity.

Out of the two and a half years I have had him, he has done nothing but make me proud of him. I can't believe at his age, and condition, he is still going strong. He is in no pain, and he isn't struggling to walk, breathe or to even live. He eats throughout the day the same as what our Dobermann eats in one sitting, so he hasn't lost his appetite by any means hehehe.

I think Harry's story is a wonderful one, one that people should remember when it comes time to looking for another dog for the family. Although he is rather old, he has got on real well with the other family dogs. The only problem is that because Mum handed him to me, he has decided that Mum is no longer his friend, hehehe, so whenever she and I play around, he is always there to protect me from her. Both Harry and Mum have a love-hate relationship hehehe. But, he is a wonderful boy and an absolute credit to the poodle breed. I hope Harry's web site helps to change people's views and ideas on adopting older dogs. We have two rescues in the family now, and they are just wonderful (you can visit Fred's page by clicking on his photo in Harry's photo album). I personally would consider rescuing older dogs for the rest of my life.