Max Emillion (Mackenzie)

Sad News Sunday 4 February 2024

Max’s mum said, “Last night (Sunday 4 February 2024) our wonderful, unique , irreplaceable Max Emillion died suddenly. We always expected he’d leave for the bridge without much warning and we always knew he’d take a big chunk of our hearts with him.

Max was a living breathing Basil Brush. From sad beginnings, with serious and untreated injuries, he’d learned to bite first and investigate later. He blossomed with love and patience, becoming the most affectionate, loyal and trustworthy dog. A supreme communicator, always happy and full of fun and the first to welcome a dog in need to his ‘Pack in the North’.

He was approaching his 14th birthday. One in a million. Run free lovely boy.”

HISTORY

Max is 20 months old. He was found as a stray and spent a month being cared for by a rescue organisation in Ireland before being transferred to IRR.

FOSTERER’S INITIAL ASSESSMENT FEBRUARY 2012

Max is a bouncy and playful dog who loves life, loves people and is good with other dogs. Although he does not appear to have had very much loving care in his short life, he connects with people quickly and easily. He loves a fuss and responds very positively to praise, which contributes to his increasing confidence and trust. Max is showing that he will be a very loyal and loving dog with the right owner.

Max is not food or toy possessive; he walks well using a head collar, but can pull without it. Even though Max is a dog who likes nothing more than to be with people, he doesn’t mind being left for short periods.

We have noticed Max gets upset if his right rear leg is touched and he has a slight limp. He is shortly to be seen by a vet.

FOSTERER’S 2ND REPORT MARCH 2012

At the end of February Max had surgery to repair a birth defect in his right rear knee, which was causing him some pain, and was the reason for his limp. As part of his recovery Max has to spend 6 weeks on mostly cage rest to give his knee the right environment to enable it to heal.

Max is attending follow-up appointments with the vet who is very pleased with his progress.

FOSTERER’S 3RD REPORT APRIL 2012

Max continues to improve and is now able to put his foot down properly on the ground. He is standing tall and is even more cheerful and friendly now he is out of pain. Max still has to spend most of his time resting, and has grown very attached to his teddy, plus the monkey and the stagbar sent to him as get well gifts from wellwishers. We have been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of people contributing towards Max’s vet bills. It is a joy to watch Max’s quality of life improve and we look forward to visiting the vet next week to check on Max’s healing process.

As Max recovers it is becoming clear that given all he has been through he would benefit from a child free home with adults who are willing to spend a lot of time with him. Max bonds easily and loves to be close and to feel loved. Max would suit a home where he was the only dog in the company of adults who are at home most of the time or one where he can be with an older, calm dog as a companion if adults have work commitments outside of the home.

FOSTERER’S 4TH REPORT – APRIL 2012

Max was reviewed by the vet earlier this week. His knee is healing very well and Max has now started a controlled exercise regime to build up to full and normal mobility.

Max has been reintroduced to our dogs and is loving the increasing time he can spend out of his cage. He is not yet allowed to play freely with the dogs as his knee still has to be protected over the next 4 weeks until his next review with the vet. However, he is enjoying the `supervised companionship’ and is really getting the most of his short lead walks, sniffing and checking everything out.

He is as ever a most loving and cheerful boy.

UPDATE MAY: 2012

“Max had his monthly follow-up appointment today. The vet is really pleased with him and has given him the best prescription yet: 4 weeks of two half hourly walks a day on a long lead in long grass, building up to running on an extension lead on hills. What more could a 25 month old dog ask for?

Its been a long journey for Max since his complex surgery to repair his knee. After his lengthy operation he had to spend 6 weeks on cage rest, followed by 4 weeks building up exercise in a very controlled way. These last 4 weeks have tested Max. They’ve given him the taste of freedom, but without being able to fully enjoy it, as he had to start with walking short distances on a short lead, still spending some time during the day in his cage, then gradually building up to longer walks and whole days off cage rest. Needless to say Max has had to put up with a few aches and pains getting back into exercise mode – as we all feel after a long period of rest!

As ever we are full of admiration for Max. He is a hero in our eyes and his determination and his spirit are a lesson to us all. Max has to remain on anti-inflammatory pain killers until he returns to the vet for a follow-up appointment in four weeks time.”

May 2012

Our Max

Well, it had to happen.

The day before we decided we’d like to adopt Max, Jack, who is our young IRR Labrador, announced that Max was now his new best friend and for the first time ever the two spent the day and evening glued together in play and sleep.

This was monumental progress as Jack’s relationship with Max had been edgy from day 1. When Max arrived in January Jack made it very plain he wasn’t impressed and, unusually for our lovely friendly youngster, refused to have anything to do with Max. Then, after Max’s surgery Jack’s view changed. He really seemed to warm to the idea of having Max around, as long as Max stayed in the crate!

As soon as Jack discovered Max wasn’t going to live in the crate forever our normally bubbly and playful boy descended back into a sulk lasting 5 weeks.

That morning Lucy, our IRR Goldie, like us, had clearly had enough. She took Jack aside, presumably for a motherly `chat’ and succeeded where we’d failed. Whatever she said, it did the trick and we all breathed a sigh of relief as the two boys came together on friendly terms and Jack instigated some fun bonding play.

So that evening as we all squeezed up on the sofa for the first time with 5 happy dogs we came to the conclusion that as long as we all breathed in, there might just be room for one more.

The following day, with the vet’s blessing, we took Max onto the field on a long leash for the first time.

Seeing the joy on the boy’s face and the love in his eyes…… and then there was that kiss…….

Welcome to the family Max Mackenzie ♥♥♥♥♥