Many of you will remember senior canine duo Coco and Millie. They were reluctantly surrendered to Lort Smith in August 2019. Coco the silky terrier is a little firecracker, while Millie the kelpie is a more reserved lady. They received so much attention that we wanted to give you an update.
As with most senior animals, they have a few (manageable) health issues. Most notably, Millie was diagnosed with glaucoma.
Trying to keep them together
At first, we had hoped to adopt these girls out as a co-dependent pair. Millie would rely on Coco to be her eyes, and always let Coco walk in front. Coco, full of enthusiasm, was more than happy to be leader of their pack. Sadly, they had very little adoption interest as a duo. We were reluctant to separate them, as they had lived their whole lives together and Millie became anxious without her little sidekick.
It's fair to say they grew impatient in the shelter. Coco began getting too bossy with Millie and would act out, especially at dinner time.
Our kennels team discussed their case thoroughly, and spoke with their previous owners to learn more. We strongly believed the incidents were due to high stress levels in the shelter, and that this would ease once they were in a home, so we placed them in our foster-to-adopt program.
An amazing family came forward and was fully briefed on the girls' medical and behaviour issues. They knew what to monitor and look out for, and even had a plan to separate them physically if no one was going to be home.
A week into the trial, the foster carers told us Coco was having episodes of lashing out at Millie, causing injuries to both dogs. After long discussions between the foster carers and our team, we made the difficult decision to separate the girls for their own safety.
Everyone was devastated. We did everything in our power to keep them together. Millie stayed on in the home, and Coco came back to the shelter.
They may not have ended up together, but they did end up very happy, safe and loved.
Two happy endings
When Coco came back, she was doted on by everyone, as everyone felt for her and Millie. She would spend time in the admin offices, keeping the staff company during their workday. That's when we noticed she was showing some odd behaviours: snapping at flies that weren't there, walking in constant circles and being hyper-alert.
After a veterinary examination, we decided to do a CT scan to see if anything sinister was going on, or if it was to do with Coco missing Millie. Fortunately, the CT scan was all clear, and we found another foster carer for Coco. Within days of being in a home, her strange behaviours eased and she became a happy little girl again. Coco was put up for adoption, and it didn't take long for her to find her new family.
We're thrilled to share that Coco now lives with a lovely young couple, who say she has settled in extremely well. She has adjusted to a new routine and shown no signs of her odd behaviours.
Millie was eventually adopted by her foster family, and has become more confident and relaxed. She loves sleeping on the couch, lying in the sun, following her carers around the house and going for leisurely walks along the beach.
They may not have ended up together, but they did end up very happy, safe and loved.