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I
n Memoriam
Lobo came to us from Las Cruces. When he first arrived he was quite subdued and would not eat. By the second day he still did not eat and that evening refused to drink. On the third day he was obviously quite ill and we took him to the emergency hospital (of course it was the weekend). We went home with antibiotics and other meds but no real diagnosis. Over the next couple of days, he'd give us a small reason for hope, but that would soon pass. Two days later we called our vet who agreed to see him the next morning first thing. He never came home again. He stayed at the vet's while they worked feverishly to try to find out what was causing him to be so ill while in the meantime treating the symptoms and trying to make him more comfortable. All symptoms pointed to distemper; however, the tests came back not confirming it. On day 5 at the vet's he had a minor seizure, then the next morning another just a bit stronger. We made the decision to let him go since we felt we had done everything we could to bring him back to us but we've never believed in holding on to a dog that had significant pain or a negaitive quality of life. We were with him as we said goodby. The vet clinic paid for the autopsy so they would know they did everything they could and didn't miss something, and the tests came back confirming distemper. He was so depleted he was not creating any antibodies so the tests did not come back positive for the disease.
We miss him terribly. We had a wonderful Akita home lined up for him, but his nature was so sweet and loving he seemed to be one of those really "special" Akitas. RIP, buddy. We'll meet you at the Bridge, and we hope you know that at least your last days were filled with love and many, many have mourned your passing.
Hi guys, I'm Ryota (Japanese for stout or strong) but the folks here in rescue are calling me Rio because it's more a New Mexico name, and easier to say. But, the reality is I'll be stout and strong for you--when I grow up. See, I'm just a puppy, still only 6 months old although I already weigh 60 lbs. So I still have a lot of puppy in me and there's loads of things I need to learn, but my fosters have found I learn really fast. My health is great, all utd on shots and HW neg, and am already neutered. I came to the shelter as a stray, so really nothing is known about me before that, but I must have been really cared for before I got to shelter. Someone had paid to get a quality-bred Akita, had probably gotten my shots, and I'd recently been neutered. But, for whatever reason, they never came to get me from the shelter. The rescue folks knew about me and then the shelter folks called and asked if I could stay with them to get me out of shelter and the rescue folks said sure so here I am. I'm a puppy, and a big one, so a family with toddlers or little dogs would probably not be good for me right now. I'll need training and lots of work, but boy do I love being with people and I'm really interested in other big dogs. I tend to be a bit mouthy so need correction, and I need basic training but the rescue folks are working on that now. And like I said, I'm learning really fast. So, do you think you'd be my family. I'd be great with a family with school-age or older kids; people with time to spend with me. I just need someone to love me, you know. I'm just a little kid and I need a lot to schooling. Man, I hope you'll be my family!
Here's Hiraku, the pioneer. Hiraku came to NMARG from Bastrop, TX. He's been here about a week and has already stolen our hearts. He's small at 65 lbs, neutered and shots up to date. He's a bit over a year old, playful, but more than happy to be your "hang out with you" buddy. We know nothing about his early days except that someone took the time to teach him sit and "high five". But apparently he was tied out since there is a worn place on his neck where the fur is just now coming back. He's very gentle and seems to not mind other dogs too much. It took 45 minutes to crate train him and he loves having a designated bed to sleep in.
We can't say enough great things about Hiraku! We haven't found any problems with him at all. He's learning quickly to do well on lead and his house manners are impeccable. He gets along great with Luna (VERY large female Akita) and loves to romp and play, then the two of them lie next to one another for a nap. When inside, his favorite place is right beside wherever you are. If you think he might be the right Akita for you, please let us know.
NEWS FLASH: NMARG is bringing in a 10 m/o female on Tuesday. No pictures yet. Black and white, no training at all, so we'll be working with her a while to teach her a few manners before placement.
