Bo came to NOKHS as a 6-month-old puppy in October of 2021. He was brought in with a pack of his littermates. When kennels became available at another rescue, Bo’s littermates were put into the van and transported, while Bo was left behind. Because Bo was having some attitude issues, he was not recommended for transport. Bo, who was alone and confused, then had to watch as every one of his brothers and sisters were given new opportunities and he was left to stay in the shelter.  

 

Bo worked with volunteers and NOKHS staff members to better his attitude. With some training and attention, he desperately needed, there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Bo began getting better, he still had some issues, but his personality and behavior was greatly improved.

 

Just as things started looking up, Bo’s health began to decline. He got sick, and instead of getting better, he continued to get sicker. Bo started showing signs of lethargy, loss of appetite, trembling, weakness, and more which put him at an extreme risk. He was brought to the vet, and after many tests, Bo was given a diagnosis. 

 

Addison’s Disease is a life altering disease that is caused by a lack of cortisol and aldosterone hormones in dogs. The most common cause of Addison’s disease is hereditary, and it causes the dog’s immune system to destroy their adrenal glands. One factor that can cause flair ups in Addison’s disease is stress. 

 

Unfortunately, no matter how hard NOKHS tries to make the shelter a home, it is a very stressful environment for these animals. Between the dogs getting riled up and new faces walking in and out of the building, it is easy to say that it is not a low stress situation. 

 

The stress Bo was  feeling caused the Addison’s disease to relapse. In healthy animals, stress triggers the  release of cortisol from the adrenal glands to help the body respond. In the case of  Addison’s disease though, the body doesn’t have the ability to adapt to these  challenges and the body’s demands are left unmet. This caused an Addisonian Crisis  and Bo nearly died because of this disease. With treatment, and a medical treatment  plan for the future, Bo’s disease got better. Still, he could not find a family.  

 

For the last two years of his life, Bo has had to sit in his kennel and become more and  more hopeless as he watches every one of his new friends leave him behind while he  continues on as Northern Oklahoma Humane Society’s longest residents. He has seen  years, many faces, and hundreds of dogs come and go from behind the fence of his  kennel at the humane society. 

 

In April of this year, Bo’s big break finally came! A family was interested in him. All the lonely nights, stress, and sadness was finally worth it. Bo had found his happily ever after, or so he thought.  

 

Unfortunately, Bo spent less than 5 months, exactly 129 days, with his new family before NOKHS got the call that they were considering returning him. In the five months there, Bo hadn’t fully acclimated to his adopters. Because of this, they felt that a different environment might better fit him. 

 

Bo has spent nearly his entire life without a family to call his own, and though this experience didn’t align with Bo’s needs, he is still eager to find a home and a family where he can truly flourish. The dedicated team at the humane society is starting their mission again to find him a loving home. This search baffles the workers at the Northern Oklahoma Humane Society because he is easily one of their favorites at the shelter. 

 

Bo is dog friendly and loves to run and play outside, especially with his yard-mate and best friend, Archie. His soon to be reunion with Archie is the only piece of joy that Bo is experiencing at the time. He can tend to be somewhat shy and nervous when you first meet him, but once Bo has come out of his shell, he is extremely loving. He loves the outdoors, is leash trained, a great listener, and an incredibly loyal dog. All he needs is someone to take a chance on him and he can prove the rest. 

 

Until then, he will continue his vigil at the Northern Oklahoma Humane Society as the new dogs come and go and he is passed over yet again.