Senior Chow Chow Reunites With Family After Unexpected Shelter Visit

When Rocky Kanaka met Maggie May, an 11-year-old Chow Chow, she was sitting quietly inside a shelter kennel, barely responding to anything around her. Her thick black fur made her look like an oversized teddy bear, but beneath that beautiful coat were painful mats and badly overgrown nails. Rocky had come to help her get groomed, never expecting that someone would walk through the shelter doors claiming to be her family. Maggie had only been at the shelter for about 24 hours, and her history was complicated. Her longtime person had reportedly entered hospice care, and Maggie had been left with someone who eventually surrendered her. What initially looked like another senior dog needing a new home would soon turn into an extraordinary family reunion. Credit: Rocky Kanaka A Senior Chow Chow Who Barely Responded Rocky approached Maggie carefully, hoping to earn her trust before attempting to groom her. She wasn’t barking or pulling away, but she wasn’t showing much interest in her surroundings either. When he offered her a treat, she barely acknowledged it. Her physical condition made the situation especially concerning. Maggie’s coat was severely matted around her back end, and sever...