Sponsors: Thank you to the wonderful people who have sponsored Simon to help pay for his $3,000+ surgery! :Debbie Gordon; Camelle Jacobs; Diana Dubbins; in loving memory of Debbie Davids' mother, Natalie Feld; in memory of Shari Todd's Great Dane Doogie; Samantha; in honor of Robert and Pauline Fox; Kathy Nguyen, and Marjorie and Jeremy Mapes

Description:

Simon came to our local vet's office after he was seen thrown out of a car. He was sent to animal control and after his few days were up he was set to be put down. The volunteers at the shelter asked one of our vets if they would see if we could repair his broken leg. One of our Vets, Murphy's Vet Clinic, performed surgery and had his back rear leg plated.  Soon after, Simon was happilyy placed in his forever home when his new owner noted a problem where his leg had been broken. According to the orthapedic Vet, Simon's body is rejecting his plate and it needs to be removed and pinned. Due to Simon's size his surgery is estimated to cost between $3000-$4000 dollars. Unfortunately his new owners could not pay this cost and returned him to PRBJ. We are struggling to pay our everyday costs and are in need of some sponsorship to help with his surgery cost. We are looking for any amount of monetary donations.

 

Foster Update: Simon has been living in my home for a little over a month now. He gets along GREAT with my 2 dogs, 1 small senior foster dog, and my 2 cats. He loves to play with other dogs and is all puppy. He really loves my friend's 10 month old catahoula because she loves to pay rough with him. He is very dog friendly and i believe could go into a home with any type of dog (as long as they were also good with dogs and ok with his size). He also have plenty of experience with my 2 cats and loves to stick his nose in their faces while they are sleeping. He will chase them if they get going around the house but has never harmed them and after they swat at him a couple of times he gets the point to move on.

He is 100% housebroken and can hold it while loose in my home for up to 11 hours...although on average he holds it about 9-10 hours. He runs loose in my home throughout the day with all my other animals and never has chewed anything! He loves to sleep on my sofa and feels he owns it but has learned that it's just too crowded in the bed for him. He prefers the sofa or a large dog bed. But any adopters be warned he does feel like he owns the sofa and it will take some training to get him in the habit of not doing that.

Simon was VERY skinny (95lbs) when he came into my home and has since gained weight but he took several days for him to transition into my routine and did not eat for several days. Any potentional adopter should know that transitions usually make his nervous and he won't eat and might have loose stool when transitioning into a new home.  He now eats on average about 6-8 cups of food daily. He has showm no food aggression as he eats with all my other dogs and has no bone or toy aggression with people or other dogs. Simon eats only Science Diet Large breed dog food and can be changed over to a new food but he has a sensitive stomach and any food change must be done slowly. Yes he eats people food as he was so skinny when i got him i gave him anything he would eat to fatten him up so be forewarned he will need some training to break this habit.

Simon goes to the dog park 2-3 times weekly and interacts with other dogs and people very well. He loves to run full speed and walk through the shoreline of the lake and splash around. He does still need some leash training especially when he is excited about meeting another dog or person. I use a choke chain on him but a less athletic person might need a prong collar. He is a very strong dog and it seems whomever owned him didn't teach him about leashes (and he spent several months in the vet's office on exercise restriction). He is still a puppy and when really excited will attempt to jump up on you but i quickly correct him and he will calmly lean into me to be petted. I have NO idea his interactions with children but based off his size i would not recommend small children.

Simon is a very friendly outgoing sweet dog. He is kind of a baby about things but gets protective of my home. He barks and grumbles at people whom knock on my door and if they enter it takes him about 15 minutes to truly warm up to them. Pepperoni treats tend to speed up the process. He has met only my family (all males) and one other male friend at my home. They were all very dog savvy and knew to just sit down and let him approach him once he got close they offered him a treat.....after that he was putty in their hands. They now can enter my home with minimal grumbing and once simon gets over the excitment he always wants to be loved. Simon LOVES to be pet, cuddled, held (if you can handle a lap dog that big), stroked, etc....really any time of attention is good for him.

I am strongly recommending the Simon go to a home with a fenced yard and will require a home visit before adoption.

Health concerns: Simon is allergic to a medication called Cephalexin (his face swells up) and has sensitive skin. He is on tight flea control (comfortis monthly) and I keep his ears clean to prevent infections.

*** According to dogbreedinfo.com, the history of Great Danes go way back. Incised on some Greek money dating back to 36 B.C. is the image of a dog very similar to the Great Dane of today. The Great Dane is known as the "Apollo of all dogs." In 407 A.D. German Gaul and part of Italy and Spain were invaded by an Asiatic people (the Alans) who brought with them powerful mastiff-like dogs. In Germany especially, where these magnificent animals capable of overcoming bears and wild boars were much admired, a process of selective breeding was begun. The dogs were crossed with Irish Greyhounds, and the issue was the beautiful, large, thin, agile dog known today as the Great Dane. Despite the fact that they are called Danes in English, these dogs have nothing to do with Denmark. The Great Dane is a gentle giant. Dignified, kind, sweet and affectionate, it is playful and patient with children. It loves everyone and needs to be around people. The Great Dane does not bark much and only becomes aggressive when the circumstances require it. A steady dog, responsible and dependable. Brave and loyal, it is a good watchdog. They need plenty of exercise - at least a good walk a day. The expected life-span is about 10 years, although some live 12-13.