Hubert's Story

Who knew when a sorry looking hound dog came back from MPVH's trip to Mississippi, he would be coming home with me. Sorry-looking is probably a nice word for the condition he was in when he first presented at MPVH.

Dr Steed's one rule for bringing animals back was no heartworm positive dogs. Kelly saw Hubert and knew even though he was heartworm positive, there was something special about this dog. After calling Dr. Steed and getting the OK to bring him back, they began the trip to Lancaster. When everyone got to work on Monday, we all fell in love with Hubert's sad eyes and gentle sprit. We began immediately on his heartworm treatment and his skin condition. He would have to wait a while to fix his eyes, get him neutered and remove a hanging rear dewclaw until his heartworm disease was a little more in check. Even with all he went through with the heartworm treatment, blood draws and numerous x-rays, he never held it against us. He was just so happy to have attention and love. It was then that I really began thinking about bringing him home to live with me, my boyfriend and the rest of the furry (and scaly) crew.

The week before Thanksgiving I asked Dr. Steed if I could take him home for the night to see how he did in a home setting. I still wasn't convinced that I would take him and I thought that he might misbehave enough overnight that it would make the decision easy. He was a perfect gentleman. He rode perfectly in the crate in my car, he got along really well with my other dog Twister, my boyfriend loved him and he didn't make a peep in the crate at night. We made the decision to take him when he was healthy enough to come home. We were able to bring him home a few weeks later.

Now almost six months after bringing him home he his not quite finished with his heartworm treatment but other than that he is healthy. The better he feels, the younger I think he is. When he first came in we thought he was about 5-6 years old. Now I think he is closer to 4 years old. His exercise limitation has been lifted somewhat and he can run a little and play. He hasn't coughed in over 2 months. All his surgeries are finished and he is completely housetrained. His skin is shiny and healthy.

Hubert is healthy enough now to start some training in agility. He will do anything for food including going up the A-frame, dogwalk, going through tunnels and over jumps. He now comes with when I train his "brother" Twister for agility. We also train with Julie and her pug Clay Bird. Hubert runs like a little puppy with the other dogs in class and loves to show his stuff on the course. You really can teach an old dog new tricks.

Hubert really is a sweet soul. All he wants is attention, love and every once in a while, a rawhide. When he gets excited he howls, jumps up and turns in a circle. He loves to go on car rides. He has a chair that he loves to curl up in and sleep, it's his own special spot in the house. We call it Hubert's Chair.

I can't thank everyone at MPVH enough for caring for him when he didn't have an owner and for his continued care through his heartworm disease. We are all learning a lot about how to treat severe heartworm disease because of him. Thanks to Kelly for seeing the spirit inside a beaten down hound dog waiting to get out.

UPDATE (1/09): Hubert continues to thrive and enjoy life to the fullest. He loves lounging around the house and being the typical "lazy hound dog". He is completely devoted to Twister and whines the whole time Twister is getting a bath or when I am grooming him. Hubert enriches our lives and is truly "man's best friend"!

UPDATE (11/09): The Hound Dog Extrodinaire aka Hubert has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. He was loved by everyone he met. Thanks to everyone that helped him have the best life for the last 4 years. He is on patrol waiting for an Amish buggy to pass by the gates at the Bridge.... You will be missed by so many that loved you in your life!