Adopt Elmo

Are you wondering what Elmo has been up to? 

According to Dy Ly of ARC, Elmo has come a long way. His weight has doubled since his initial rescue and he now weighs a healthy 14kg. He can now be fed just one proper meal a day as compared to when we first rescued him and was feeding him many small meals throughout the day as he was a walking skeleton.

Elmo when he was first rescued. Look how skinny he was! The third picture is Elmo as he is today.

He gets on very comfortably, despite being almost deaf and blind. Elmo's hearing is perhaps only 15%, based on the present foster's guess. He can react to high pitched sounds like whistling and screaming. But early in the morning, when it’s very quiet and the foster is preparing his breakfast, he will get up and wait for his breakfast as if he could hear the food being prepared.

Elmo's sight seems to have improved slightly, although he will never have good vision. We think he can see blurred images when things are close to him. When someone approaches Elmo, he will turn to face in their direction.

Well, realistically, he's probably just reacting to scents and/or vibrations. But whatever method it is that Elmo uses to guide himself, he seems to have honed it well. He seems to thrive best when he is in a quiet and calm environment. When he is outdoors, his senses don't work as well. All the other outdoor distractions probably make it difficult for Elmo to focus on particular scents or vibrations.

Elmo has nice golden fur growing out, making him look like a kiwi fruit

To cope with his disabilities, Elmo has a good memory. He remembers where obstacles are and avoids them. Sometimes, he scratches himself, more as a bad habit rather than because of an itch. The e-collar that he wears not only prevents him from scratching, but also serves as a shield to protect his face and head from banging into things. He recognizes the scent of his foster home, and after walks in the neighborhood, he will know where to turn into his foster home.

Even his rat's tail now looks so cute with golden fur

He is a creature of habit, so having a fixed routine is important. Feeding at the same time and place, walking the same routes etc., will all make it easier for Elmo to familiarize himself with his new life and adapt better.

At first, Elmo didn't know how to open his mouth to pant like a normal dog. Thus, his body would heat up when he went on walks or outings, and the fosters and volunteers would have to ice him down after. Now, after ___ months, Elmo at least knows to open his mouth, although he still doesn't really pant much, even after long walks or runs. The foster helps him to cool down by feeding him ice cubes and wiping his body and face with a wet towel.

Elmo loves his fruits. His foster will usually feed him fruits, followed by ice cubes. Clever Elmo knows to wait and expect ice cubes after having fruits. One time, the foster combined the fruits and ice cubes in his food dish together, and he seemed to still expect to be fed more ice cubes after polishing off the mixture. What a cute little fella!

Caring for Elmo
Elmo is extremely easy to care for. He is easily contented and easy to please. He is a good boy and hardly barks. He spends the day sleeping while you are at work. After a good meal and a belly rub, he likes to play tug of war with his chew toy before heading off to bed. Yes! He has now learnt how to play!

Elmo, 3rd from left, at the Star Vista mall for the Cesar Millan event in April 2014

Amanda and Josephine with Elmo

Despite having many disabilities, Elmo is a friendly and sociable dog, He wags his tail whenever any person or dog approaches him. He doesn't seem very interested in meeting other dogs and often seems like he is in a world of his own, perhaps due to his loss of sight and hearing.

Elmo tends to gobble his food in large mouthfuls, possibly because he had been grossly starved or the fact that he can't see his food. So watch out for those fingers of yours when you feed him by hand!

During his walks, Elmo likes to pick things up to eat, so you need to be careful and alert. He seems to like eating flowers and leaves, which leads us to speculate that he had been abandoned in a dense forest and was eating plants to survive before he was found by rescuers.

Elmo is already outdoor potty-trained and has hardly had any toilet accidents in his foster home. Amazing, isn't he?

Adopt Elmo! A foster is only temporary. Elmo needs a permanent home, a family of his own. Would you adopt Elmo? He is HDB-Approved under Project ADORE.

To adopt Elmo, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg