Meet my friend Sugar. This 12-year-old labrador retriever has a very unique adoption story. Sugar worked as a pheasant hunting dog at Thuderstik Lodge in Chamberlain, South Dakota for most of her life. At the age of 9, she was officially put into retirement and needed a good home to live out the remainder of her senior years. There aren’t many people willing to adopt an older dog, let alone a retired hunting dog that lived most of her life in a kennel setting.
PetSnoot’s interview with Sugar:
PetSnoot: How did you end up with your new family?
Sugar: When my adoptive mom’s dog, Cartwright, died she was so heartbroken it took her a couple of years to consider adopting again. My adoptive dad was anxious to get a dog, and after some convincing, they finally decided it was time.
My new parents are outdoor enthusiasts and love to go hunting and fishing. They both agreed on adopting an adult dog that could participate in their outdoor activities. Upon searching for rescued or retired hunting dogs, they came across Thunderstik lodge.
After perusing the page with dogs currently available for adoption, they decided (despite the long drive from Ohio to South Dakota) to come and meet me to see if I’d be a good fit for their home.
PetSnoot: What was it like working and living at the lodge?
Sugar: I went through extensive training with the guides before they let me hunt with guests. Once I completed the training, they let me go hunting a lot! The humans call it working, but I think it is a lot of fun. There is nothing better than being outdoors, flushing out pheasants for the hunters, and getting to be around different people.
They took great care of me at the lodge. Everyone was really nice and I had a huge kennel to rest every night. There were about 25 other dogs that were either actively hunting with guests, going through the training program, or waiting for their forever home.
After I reached middle age, they decided the long days were too much for me and I officially retired. When that happens, they put my information on their website for potential adopters to learn all about me. That’s how my new family found me!
PetSnoot: Tell us about your new family, what was it like to meet them?
Sugar: My adoptive parents drove all the way from Ohio. They said it took about 15 hours to drive here. Before they drove here the lodge told them I could still hunt, but not full time, and I would make a great house pet with some training. I didn’t know exactly what they meant by housetraining, but they said I sounded like the perfect fit for them so they made the long drive to meet me.
We got to spend the night together at the lodge. I was really happy when they decided they would take me home with them! We loaded up the car and there was a really soft bed for me to lay on during our drive. They laughed when I stood up and peed all over my bed while we were driving. I don’t think I was supposed to do that, but they were very nice about it and said they would teach me about the housetraining.
PetSnoot: What was your new home like?
Sugar: After our long drive to Ohio, we finally made it home. The house was much bigger than my kennel at the lodge. There were different rooms and a fluffy dog bed for me to sleep on.
My new parents spent a lot of time taking me to the back yard and I finally figured out about the housetraining. It only took me a few days to catch on! There is a sidewalk and a street with cars that make noises I’m not used to. We took a lot of walks on the sidewalk, and I really enjoyed my new surroundings. They called me an alpha dog because I like to bark at other dogs when they pass by. After they introduced me to a few dogs in my yard, I don’t get as worked up when I pass other dogs on the street.
They take me hunting every now and then, and we also go fishing in their boat. I love my new home and my new parents seem to really enjoy having me there. I’m getting older and like to sleep most of the time, but they don’t seem to mind.
Sugar is 12 years old now and still living her best life as a retired hunting dog in Ohio. Her parents say there is much joy in adopting an older dog. Even though they know their time with Sugar is limited due to her old age, they love having the opportunity to give her the best quality in what is left of her life.
If you are considering adopting a dog, please know there are a lot of older dogs that need a loving home to finish out their senior years. Hopefully, Sugar’s story will inspire other pet parents to consider gifting an older dog with a wonderful retirement home.
Do you have a unique adoption story to share? We’d love to hear from you!
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