Happy Gotcha Day Vincent!
THIS IS VINCENT. Poor Vincent is 3.5 years old and has had a rough start in life. A couple years ago, Vincent ended up at the shelter with a wound on his face from being bitten by a bigger dog. He recovered okay and was adopted, but then he ended up back at the shelter as a stray. His family wasn’t found, and then he was adopted again, but he ended up back at the shelter again a couple weeks ago. Since being adopted the second time, Vincent doubled in body weight, making it difficult for him to get around properly and even breathe easily. That’s when LFS stepped in to help.
Vincent is morbidly obese, there’s no other way to put it. When he got to the shelter, he weighed 163 pounds. He has already lost a few and now weighs 157 pounds, but he has a long way to go to get back to a healthy weight. Vincent should weigh around 75 pounds. Even 5 pounds of extra weight in dogs can lead to all kinds of health problems, including osteoarthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and shortened life spans, so it is very important to get Vincent back to a healthy weight. We have started him on a diet and exercise regimen to get him on the right track. Vincent also had a raging ear infection and skin infection on his belly when he came to us, so he is being treated for that as well.
Despite his obvious discomfort, Vincent has been a sweet boy and remains a happy-go-lucky guy. He loves him some booty scratches and back rubs. He was reported to do well with other dogs and cats, though he does NOT do well with children. For being so large and strong, he walks pretty well on a leash, though he does pull some when excited. Vincent will need to go to a home with an owner who understands how important it is for him to maintain a proper, healthy weight and will continue appropriate diet and exercise, even after he is back where he needs to be.
Stay tuned for Vincent’s progress on his diet!
UPDATE 7/27/20!!Hey Guys, Vincent here, although they call me “Vinny” around here. I have finished my training boot camp and one of the trainers decided to foster me with her to continue my training and weight loss program. Her place is pretty fun. I have 3 other 4 legged friends here to run around with and some really tall 4 legged creatures they call horses. They were a little scary at first but I ignore them and they ignore me. We have been taking walks twice everyday and I’m having a blast exploring all around this place. You can follow my adventures on Instagram @K9Vincent
UPDATE 5/29/20: This big guy has now lost a total of 11 pounds and is down to 152!! With a goal weight of 80 pounds, we’ve still got quite a ways to go but we think he is enjoying the extra activity! He got to go to daycare today and loved getting booty scratches from the kennel staff. Vincent has shown us some behaviors that indicate that he can be “owner protective” and can sometimes be stand-off-ish with strangers. For this reason, we will be enrolling him in training to help him become a well-mannered, well-rounded boy that will be ready to find his forever home. He will be starting training boot camp this coming week. Stay tuned for updates!
