MY DOGS
29 March
Solo has lived a life that no dog deserves to live. He fended for himself on the streets of Los Angeles for nearly a decade. Solo became ill over time and became too old to keep up with the other dogs.
Eventually, he was too tired and weak to walk anymore and plopped down on a woman’s porch. When the woman found him, she named him Solovino (Spanish for “he came alone”) and contacted Rocket Dog Rescue for assistance.
The rescue flew him out to San Francisco where he went to live with a foster. Unfortunately, Solo was adopted out multiple times but was always returned through no fault of his own.
Until one day, Carol Messina saw a picture of Solo online and knew right away that she had to save him.
Image Credit: Carol Messina
“I knew he was going to stay with me forever no matter what when I met him and saw how sad he was,” Messina told The Dodo.
Because of Solo’s past, he was very timid and still didn’t fully trust people. He didn’t react normally to those around him, and he flinched whenever someone petted him.
But Messina soon learned that this was less of a trust issue and more of a hearing problem. Solo’s hearing was far worse than anyone had suspected – he was practically deaf. This explains why he flinched when anyone touched him; he didn’t like people sneaking up on him when he couldn’t hear them coming.
His teeth were also very bad and causing him a lot of pain. Thankfully, Messina got him the surgery he needed to fix his teeth, and he acted like a completely new dog after that! The pain had obviously affected how he acted as well.
Image Credit: Carol Messina
Solo is now a contented dog who enjoys running around outside and meeting new dogs to play with. Messina has also learned new ways to cope with his deafness-related anxieties.
He wears a harness that says “deaf dog” whenever they go for a walk so that people don’t pet him without asking. Messina also flickers lights on and off when she enters a room so he knows she’s coming and isn’t startled.
Image Credit: Carol Messina
Despite his age, Solo has a lot of life left in him thanks to Messina. He will now live the rest of his days in a loving home, never having to worry about living on the streets again.
“I’m very proud of his progress,” Messina told The Dodo. “It is the best thing I have ever done with my life, and he has inspired me to get more senior dogs who need hospice care.”
Interested in helping a senior dog? Messina has made her first step into rescue by starting a crowdfunding campaign for older dogs and those who are terminally ill.
Special Thanks To : Carol Messina 💚
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