There’s a new set of paws at The Lily Pond…and they’re big. Please welcome Olof!
This handsome German Shepherd is approximately seven years old and has the sweetest personality. He loves people and is great with other dogs, which is surprising given his background.
Olof was born to a backyard breeder who kept her dogs in deplorable conditions. A concerned neighbor made a call and the investigation revealed dogs stuck in stacked cages that were too small and filled with feces. They did not have access to food or water and were severely underweight. The Columbia-Greene Humane Society confiscated 39 dogs and charges were brought against the breeder. Olof spent months at the shelter pending the outcome of the trial until Jeff Redd offered to foster him. Olof was less than a year old at the time and Jeff worked to train him. The breeder was prohibited from owning dogs and Jeff was finally able to adopt him.
Now Olof has a home at The Lily Pond.
He and Dolly became fast friends and little Happy the Shih Tzu adores the big black and gold shepherd, dancing in and out from under his legs while Olof trots along, oblivious to his adoring fan. Our Corgi mix Elsa was a bit reactive, initially biting his tail! Olof simply glanced at her and walked away.
This handsome fellow is so well-behaved that he’s allowed to roam free around the sanctuary property for an hour every evening. He loves to explore the fields and woods and seemed more excited than the geese when the pond was no longer a frozen ice cube.
If you toss a stick, Olof will launch out over the water, splashing and paddling to fetch his prize. His recall is excellent. When you call his name, Olof instantly appears on the horizon, trotting dutifully back to the house.
However, the house is not his favorite place to hang out, unlike Happy, who actually has to be carried outside. Olof loves the cold, romping happily in the snow. With the exception of a nap on the couch with Dolly, our boy much prefers the dog yard and attached shed filled with warm straw bedding.
The woodland coyotes have captured his interest and he opened the lines of communication with a series of nightly barks and howls… probably warning them to steer clear of little Elsa. But most of all, Olof loves his favorite person, Jeff Redd. Whenever Jeff is working on the property – building run-in sheds for the horses, mending paddock fences, working in the garden – Olof is right by his side, sharing his sandwich and gazing at his person with adoring eyes. What a helpful pup!
