Solo is a stray that has lived his entire life roaming the streets of Los Angeles.
By the time he reached the age of 11, he was too old and unwell to romp around the streets with the other dogs. As a result, he stayed on the womanβs porch until assistance arrived.
The woman discovered the elderly dog living alone on her doorstep and given him the name Solovino, which means βhe arrived aloneβ in Spanish.
The woman contacted Rocket Dog Rescue after Solo remained on her doorway for many days. The rescue organization agreed to adopt him, so he was flown to San Francisco.
Solo was placed in a foster family, where he spent the next year and a half. He was adopted out several times, but was always returned.
Nobody could figure out why the cute puppy would not calm down until Carol Messina happened over his internet portrait one day.
Messina, the new mother of Solo, stated to The Dodo, βAs soon as I saw his face on their website, I wanted to adore him.β βWhen I read that his name was Solovino, as a MAJOR βStar Warsβ fan (I even have a cat with a βStar Warsβ name), my first thinking was, βWell, his name is Solo!β It turns out that this is what his foster father had been calling him! I knew it was destiny. But, when I met him and realized how depressed he was, I knew he would be with me forever whatsoever.β
Solo was terrified at his arrival at his new permanent home. Following a lifetime of street life, he was naturally mistrustful of others.
βWhen he originally moved in with me, he spent months with his tail between his legs,β Messina said. βHe was extremely unresponsive to dogs, people, and cats, and flinched if anybody attempted to pet him. I rapidly discovered that his teeth and hearing were FAR worse than his foster mother had believed, as were his ears.
Soloβs rescue organization and foster parents were unaware that he was basically deaf and his teeth were in bad condition due to his advanced age and illness.
As he could not hear people approaching or being petted and was in so much agony from his teeth, he found it impossible to feel enthusiastic about anything.
Once his teeth were restored, though, Solo changed radically.
Nowadays, Solo likes playing and running about, as well as finding new canine friends. He seems to have accepted that this is his life now and that it will never change, and he is so much happier than he was yesterday.
Messina remarked that the neighborhood residents frequently remark on how he no longer resembles the same dog. He did not grin or even open his lips to pant for months, but today he smiles, rolls about, and runs across the lawn a dozen times every day at full speed.
Messina observed, βI am pretty pleased with his growth. He has inspired me to adopt many elderly dogs requiring hospice care, as it is the best decision I have ever made.
Messina remarked, βI am quite proud of his improvement.β βIt is the finest decision I have ever made in my life, and he has motivated me to adopt many older dogs in need of hospice care.β
