First of all, thank you for the kind and supportive words! We know we are doing the right thing for this lovely dog (whom we are calling Caesar), but it is good to hear affirmation from my dear friends at tPF.
OK...we called the vet who was listed on his rabies tag the day after Christmas. They said they know the dog and would try to get in touch with the owner. Believe me, my DH and I were both in tears
thinking we might have to return our sweetie to a neglectful home. But so far we have not heard anything! 
The vet's office tells us they have left 3 messages so far. So everyone keep your fingers crossed!! To those of you who suggested we offer to buy the dog from the owner, we have already decided that we will.
Meanwhile, Caesar is gaining strength daily and seems happy to be with us. Our kitties are still wary, but curious. They are making cautious forays downstairs to check out the new guy. They get a little "puffy" but no hissing or spitting so far. Caesar goes on alert when he spies a kitty but has not barked or acted aggressive in any way. It's a plus that his injury keeps him from climbing the stairs so the kitties still have some dog-free space while they get used to the idea.
Right now we are just walking him several times a day but my DH is bringing home a kennel tomorrow and plans to start fencing in the back yard this week. Caesar is clearly used to being outdoors so we want to give him some protected space to roam around in. We have a very large backyard so he will have plenty of room. I have an appointment with our vet for Friday and an appt with a groomer Jan. 4th. His coat already looks better now that he is getting regular meals but he still has a lot of snarls which will need to be clipped out.
That's it so far...thanks again for the encouraging words and please keep praying that we will be able to give this dog a permanent, loving home!
OK...we called the vet who was listed on his rabies tag the day after Christmas. They said they know the dog and would try to get in touch with the owner. Believe me, my DH and I were both in tears
thinking we might have to return our sweetie to a neglectful home. But so far we have not heard anything! The vet's office tells us they have left 3 messages so far. So everyone keep your fingers crossed!! To those of you who suggested we offer to buy the dog from the owner, we have already decided that we will.Meanwhile, Caesar is gaining strength daily and seems happy to be with us. Our kitties are still wary, but curious. They are making cautious forays downstairs to check out the new guy. They get a little "puffy" but no hissing or spitting so far. Caesar goes on alert when he spies a kitty but has not barked or acted aggressive in any way. It's a plus that his injury keeps him from climbing the stairs so the kitties still have some dog-free space while they get used to the idea.
Right now we are just walking him several times a day but my DH is bringing home a kennel tomorrow and plans to start fencing in the back yard this week. Caesar is clearly used to being outdoors so we want to give him some protected space to roam around in. We have a very large backyard so he will have plenty of room. I have an appointment with our vet for Friday and an appt with a groomer Jan. 4th. His coat already looks better now that he is getting regular meals but he still has a lot of snarls which will need to be clipped out.
That's it so far...thanks again for the encouraging words and please keep praying that we will be able to give this dog a permanent, loving home!
and lead a happy life from now on.