Riley Thompson – Irish Retriever Rescue

A FAMILY REUNITED IN HEAVEN

Riley and Jackson were rescued together and now they are happily reunited, together forever at Rainbow Bridge with their very special sister Suki.

Di says “When they first came, we discovered that Jack seemed very unhappy to be called Jackson or even Jacko – maybe it brought back memories that he would prefer to forget. So we tried using Jack instead. He learnt it quickly and would come to us, tail wagging. So his name became Jack. We also discovered that Riley was stone deaf so his name didn’t need changing, poor lad.

The house is extremely empty – we’ve never been dogless before”.

SISTER SUKI PASSED ON TUESDAY 4th APRIL 2017

Suki was an honorary IRR girl. On Saturday, 1st Apr 2017 she announced “Empress Suki has come of age. I’m 18 today!!! It’s my official birthday ‘cos no one knows when my real one is except that I was 12 when I was handed in to the Oldies Club in April 2011. My lovely Mr Vet decided that I should have an official birthday, just like the Queen. I’m a bit less active than I was and lie around a lot with my bruv, Jack. My legs are wobbly but I still manage to do a bit of digging now and again”. On Wednesday 5th April, a heartbroken Di told us “Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Suki yesterday. Her 18 years caught up with her and she began to shut down so we let her go in a dignified and loving way. She seized life with all four paws and made an indelible mark on our lives. She was foster mum to many dogs who passed through our home and was a wonderful fun companion to those who stayed especially Princess Holly.

Suki was bossy, obstinate and utterly adorable. We’ll miss her so much and she leaves a huge gap in our family

Run free, darling Sooks and have fun with all our other dogs at the Bridge. We love you”.

RILEY HAD TO SAY GOODBYE (20.5.2016)

On Friday 20th May 2016, we received this dreadful news from Di ” I’m sad to have to report that Riley was put to sleep today. He’d soldiered on for so long with all his health problems but, this week, we knew he had just reached the end and could no longer cope.

We had a long discussion with the vet and we all agreed that it was the right time to say goodbye.

Poor old lad – he had so much wrong with him but at least he was comfortable, safe and loved for the time we had together. We’ll miss him a lot – he was such a darling.”

All at IRR are really sad but Riley had a fabulous 14 months with Di and Rob for which we can never thank them enough.

THEIR STORY

When they came into IRR’s care, both boys were aged 10 years old and neutered.

FOSTER UPDATE AUGUST 2015

Di tells us:

“Riley and Jack have been here for five months now and it seems as though they’ve always been part of our doggy family. Riley spends most of the time with our ancient goldie bitch, Suki. We suspect she’s teaching him how to be a naughty goldie as he’s learnt to be obstinate, how to dig holes and how to demand food, loudly. He has recently started to have silly times as well, bouncing around asking Jack to play and generally behaving like a puppy. When our 4 year old grandson comes to visit, Riley always lies beside him and is quite happy to be part of any game. He is the most gentle, sweet natured dog and loves to snuggle up for a cuddle. Sadly though, Riley has been quite unwell and our vet suspects he has pancreatic cancer. At present he is on lots of medication which is keeping him comfortable and stable and he has his own air conditioner to help him cope with the hot weather – he’s on steroids so has difficulty regulating his body temperature. We are determined that the rest of his life, however long or short, will be completely happy, comfortable and filled with love. Irish Retriever Rescue is giving us lots of support, especially by paying Riley’s ongoing and very substantial vet’s bills.

Jackson, now called Jack, just wants love and tummy rubs. As soon as he catches your eye, he rolls over, legs in the air, asking for a cuddle. And guess what……we fall for it every time. He’s full of beans and loves to wander round the garden with Suki, looking for mischief. He likes to dig holes in the lawn and when discovered, wiggles up to you and rolls over for a cuddle. Who can resist? Unfortunately, Jack’s health isn’t brilliant either. He has a liver problem which is being monitored and the arthritis in his legs is worsening which makes walking difficult for him. Jack, however, completely ignores all the problems and just carries on being Jack. He’s down to his ideal weight which helps and he’s on anti inflammatory medication and supplements which keep him comfortable. He also has several soft, snuggly beds to choose from when he wants a snooze.

Riley and Jack are the most lovable and loving dogs you could wish for and the whole family adores them. We are so lucky that we were chosen to foster these boys – so that we could fail and adopt them.”

HAPPY TOGETHER BUT, SADLY, NOT HEALTHY (22.6. 2015)

Both Riley and Jackson have very serious health issues but they both fell on all four paws when they were adopted by Di and Rob as they are proven experts at caring for elderly, sick dogs and giving them the most wonderful, much longer than expected, happy lives.

Di says ” Riley adores Suki and is learning to be a Goldie – he follows her about and joins her in loudly demanding food, walks etc. Trouble is, once he gets out for his walk he hasn’t got the energy to go for more than about five minutes, poor old lad. He hasn’t put on any more weight but then he hasn’t lost any either – although the vet says that may be just the steroids. His medication seems to be keeping him stable at the moment and the vet was pleased with him at the last check.

We’re hoping for a cool summer as he can’t cope with the heat at all (we had him clipped a bit at his last visit to the groomers and that’s helped a lot). Hopefully, though, he’ll be like Holly – he looks so much like her so let’s hope he has the same constitution. Jackson is also stable at the moment in terms of his liver. He has another blood test next week to see if his liver enzymes are coming down. If they are, that’s good but if not, then almost certainly he has liver cancer.

However, whatever the outcome of that, he is in increasing pain with his arthritic elbows. The vet says both are really thickened with lots of crepitus and there’s lots more pain than there was. He limps all the time now. He’s on an extra pain killer as well as his anti inflammatory and all his supplements – so all that is making him a bit sleepier than usual. David’s vet was right when he said he was very worried about Jackson’s arthritis – it is definitely going to be life limiting. Our intention is to make sure that he has a happy time, virtually painfree until that can no longer be.

Latest news (July). With the arrival of hot weather, the air conditioning unit, paddling pool and ice mats are being life savers.

EARLY HISTORY

Riley and Jackson have lived with their owner since they were puppies and are very much loved but, due to work changes, it has become impossible to care for them properly any more. They remained in “owner foster” while they received the necessary vaccinations etc.

Personality Riley, the Retriever, is like the big brother, always looking out for Jackson, the black Labrador. They sleep together and both are very friendly.They live by the sea so both dogs love the beach and the water and they enjoy playing whether it be with a ball or a toy. Riley is very intelligent and his owner swears he even knows what you are thinking. Jackson is very obedient and would never leave your side whereas Riley is inquistive and likes adventure. Their heartbroken owner says they really are two great dogs. We are not anticipating any major problems from these happy go lucky boys.

So far, we have no information on Riley’s and Jackson’s thoughts with regard to small children, cats, dogs and other animals but we are not anticipating any major problems from these happy go lucky boys.

Riley and Jackson are now being fostered in West Essex.

Since being in their foster home, they have been found to be playful and happy. They are very well adjusted dogs, being neither dominant nor nervous, timid, fearful or anxious. Both are very friendly with people and other animals. Jackson loves pottering around the garden with a ball in his mouth. He can be a bit boisterous but will settle eventually while Riley is calm and laid back. Social learning Both Riley and Jackson are housetrained and they both travel well. Riley is well behaved, enjoys being brushed and is easy to walk on the lead Riley comes to his name while Jackson not only knows his name but also sits on command. Jacko is definitely the brains of the duo!!!!! Neither of them are toy or food possessive. Neither suffers with separation anxiety but they do like to be involved in everything. Dogs: They are both friendly with other dogs. General Health Their general health is quite good with no skin or dental problems. Their coats are improving with good food and regular brushing. Their fosterer has been giving them joint supplements and gentle exercise, which he has been gradually building up, and, already, there is a marked improvement in their mobility. Riley’s daily walk has now reached 40 mins and he seems to really look forward to it.

RILEY AND JACKSON’S DREAM HOME

Riley and Jackson are an inseparable pair who need to be rehomed together. A seaside home would be idyllic but isn’t essential as long as they are able to continue to play together. Most importantly, they need someone to love them as much as their owner has and, we are sure, they will both return that love in spades.

IT’S OFFICIAL (March 2015)

To nobody’s great surprise, Riley and Jackson’s foster home with Di and Rob has become their Forever Home.