Mortimer: The Kind of Dog You'd Get for Grandma and the Kids

from Out of the Cage! (February/March 2005)

No longer weak in the knees, Mortimer is lavishing love on his new family.

When his owner died last year, young Mortimer showed up at AC&C's Staten Island shelter. AC&C's Cindy De Witt recognized right away that he was a wonderful companion. But Mortimer suffered from a patella luxation, an orthopedic condition involving a knee joint that required surgery. He also needed treatment for kennel cough.

Marcello Forte, Executive Director at Animal Haven Shelter in Queens, arranged to take Mortimer and locate an adopter. He also made arrangements with Bellerose Animal Hospital, one of Animal Haven's partner hospitals in Queens, to handle the surgery. Animal Haven and the Picasso Veterinary Fund would jointly pay for the surgery.

In the meantime, Animal Haven received a call from a potential adopter in upstate New York looking for a "large, sweet dog" for a grandmother and two children. Unquestionably, Mortimer was a perfect fit. So the adoption was arranged, and Mortimer headed upstate to meet his new family as soon as his kennel cough was cured. After a brief get-acquainted period, his new mom brought him back to Queens for the surgery. Dr. Aiken, an orthopedic surgeon at Bellerose, performed the procedure and stabilized the patella.

Today, Mortimer is recuperating comfortably in his new home where he is treated like a king. And why not? Mortimer is definitely a "keeper," and his adoptive family is delighted with their newest family member.