Meet Rupert

Operating a hamster rescue has constant twists and turns and I never know where they'll take me! Hello, I am Carrie King director of Home Sweet Hammy Home and my mission is to help hamsters, mice and guinea pigs BUT a dog needed my help in 2023, so I leaped in to assist not knowing anything about him other than he was dumped on someone's property and at risk for a sad and possibly fatal fate. Turns out, he was a young German Shorthair Pointer. Many have speculated I somehow chose his breed but that is not correct. My adult daughter and I drove out to the home where he was dumped and retrieved him because nobody else the homeowner had contacted would, or could, and it was reported he'd been out there for several weeks and was starving. The fact he appears to be a pure bred GSP isn't in my control, rescue operators don't often choose which breeds need help, and yes... even pure breeds are dumped.

After posting his picture on various lost dog platforms and having him checked for a microchip, which he did not have, Rupert was vaccinated, neutered, trained and adopted out but was returned for behavior. He has quite a bit of energy along with some quirky issues typical dog trainers can't work with, but I did not know that then. I enrolled him in a board and train situation, and he made huge progress and was adopted out again after 5 weeks of training, only to be returned again, this time because having him and the current household dog was too much for the family to manage. At this point I began to utilize a private trainer and learned GSP's need specialized assistance and someone to believe in them fully. Many methods used on him previously were a waste of time and resulted in doing more harm than good. He was going to need to WANT to behave and know he would receive a reward and he needed someone to be patient and gentle. So, I buckled down and took up the task of helping him learn to be a family dog who respects his human and their property. One who can successfully function under a strong pack leader who sets up clear guidelines for him to follow. It worked out fine once I set my mind to that goal and he was doing amazingly well with a structured and consistent routine. He was adopted again in September of 2023 and lived with that adopter until July 2024 when there was a life change in their lives which caused them to need to return him. That was when I started all over with him. He remembered a lot of what he'd been taught and what was forgotten was re-established. Another adopter stepped up and we were all set to proceed but on August 13, 2024 Rupert began having seizures which led to 2 visits to the ER and eventually he was diagnosed with Valley Fever. His adoption availability status was then terminated.

What followed next was a nightmare, but I was determined to see it through until there was a resolution. Although Anti-seizure and Anti-fungal medications together are effective in halting seizures and eliminating fungus, as a dog's body is regulating on them the side effects can be bad and Rupert's manifested in the form of explosive diarrhea and excessive intake of water and outputting frequently. So there I was with an entire rescue full of hamsters, mice and guinea pigs plus our own 4 family dogs to care for, tromping up and down the stairs hourly and in and out of the back yard with Rupert, cleaning up mess after mess after mess until his body regulated on the medication, and we were able to establish a routine again. Once we found our new rhythm, life started looking semi normal but then despite me administering supplements to protect his organs, he sustained some slight liver damage after 6 months of meds. A trip to the holistic doctor was made without any satisfying results despite paying a highly inflated exam fee so the veterinarian could "review" his health history. I was told to continue doing what I was already doing. It was truly disappointing but life in rescue goes on.

At this point you may be wondering how it works having a hunting dog in a rescue full of animals he could hunt and kill. Well..., I'll tell you. I am very careful. Our 4 family dogs and Rupert live upstairs. The smaller rescued animals live throughout the entire downstairs. There are stairs gates at the top and bottom. Rupert stays kenneled overnight, is leashed when we are walking through the downstairs and has the full run of our decent sized back yard. He is well trained now with hand signals and knows a few voice commands. This video clip showcases some of his life. Not shown is Rupert has an extensive exercise routine that I keep up with to eliminate any pent-up energy. He eats 4 times per day and receives medication and supplements with each meal.

Yes, I am exhausted. However it is rewarding to see him flourish after all he has been through and I'll keep on working with him because he deserves it. Rupert may be living in a hamster rescue while he heals, but his life is excellent. Just like all the other animals here at Home Sweet Hammy Home!

Would you like to help me provide for Rupert? He has his own Amazon Wishlist I recently created for him. What I always need most of is food, but any of the items would be deeply appreciated.