Magnum just arrived in his foster home a few days ago.  As a stray he managed to elude capture for a month, but once he was outsmarted he spent the next month in the shelter.  He’s now settling into his foster home nicely and is happy to be safe, warm, loved on, and well fed. 

He is skittish but friendly around people and loves to play with other dogs.  He’s very curious and will steal things from around the house and stash them in his crate.  He’s adjusting well to all the recent changes in his life.

Magnum is very underweight and Heartworm positive.  Once he gains some weight and gets through his painful, expensive, and risky Heartworm treatment he will be a very handsome boy that will make a wonderful addition to a lucky family.

Stay tuned for updates on this nice boy!

Update 1/18/15:  Magnum is shaking off his stray dog persona and settling into his foster home very nicely.  He is a smart, high energy boy who is gaining confidence, learning proper house manners, and how to walk nicely on a leash.  He has gained more than 10 pounds and will be starting his Heartworm treatment next week.

Update 2/6/15:  Magnum is having a rough time with his first Heartworm treatment, but is determined to overcome any obstacles. You can find more information about Heartworms and treatment protocols here:  https://www.heartwormsociety.org.  

A Heartworm factsheet:  https://www.heartwormsociety.org/images/Think_12_PDFs/7-13-factsheet-What_if_My_Dog_Tests_Positive.pdf

Heartworm Treatment Guidelines: https://www.heartwormsociety.org/images/pdf/HeartwormTreatmentGuide_PetOwner.Color.pdf

Update 5/25/15:  Magnum is still recovering from his first Heartworm treatment but has made lots of progress.  He still has some labored breathing, but that continues to slowly improve.  We hope he will be ready for his second treatment sometime over the summer.  He's gone from 48 pounds all the way up to 70, and could still use a few more.

As Magnum's health has improved and he's become more comfortable in his foster home, his personality has really begun to come out.  He's a happy, playful, curious guy who loves attention.  He is also the best stump excavator I've ever seen and has deftly removed a couple of old stumps from the yard.  He also thought the yard needed a "water feature" and dug a big hole.  After it rains and fills up with water, he loves to splash and play in it.  

He is still shy and reclusive around people he doesn't know, but now that he's feeling better we'll be working on his socialization a little more. We're also trying to convince him that walks are fun.  Stay tuned for more updates.

Update 11/1/15:  Magnum recently had his second Heartworm treatment and is doing well.  He is experiencing some side effects from it, but overall is recovering nicely.  It's been a long difficult process but Magnum has remained a sweet cooperative patient throughout the whole ordeal.

He's been here for almost a year and he finally found his voice and barked for the first time!  One of his favorite pass times is collecting sticks and old pieces of firewood and piling them up in one area of the yard.  He very proudly prances around with one of his treasures in his mouth and does his part to help with the yard work.  He is still very skittish of strangers, but should come around with some patience, gentle exposure, and time.  More updates coming soon.