Regis is the resident Dobergramps at Fort Doberdale. He was adopted within a few weeks of Ginger at the end of 2005. He has wobbly back legs, and had probably been in an accident of some sort years ago because he has some scars on his back legs where hair will not dare grow in.

Regis is a big boy, and like a lot of seniors of all species, a lot of his parts sag. He has the best neck. I love to hold it and watch it wobble. His underbelly, now that it has something in it to sag, does a nice wobble as well. He came to Fort Doberdale a little undernurished and very depressed. Another old dog left to die at a shelter.

I would guess Regis was a studly boy, as he was not neutered until I adopted him, and he was no spring chickie then…er rooster, I mean. But he likes his girls, and it has taken him a while to realize he’s not the macho guy he once was. He loves to boss Bouchard around, and Bouchard is a little scared of Regis, which isn’t a bad thing really. Bouchard needed a little bit to be put in a place where he could revere an elder male. And he does.

Regis favorite thing to do is get out the back door first, turn around, and bully Bouchard until I come along to break it up so Bouch can get outside. Regis moves like a rusty old tank, and Bouchard moves like a Doberduck. Unfortunately Bouchard’s time of malnourishment was in his formative months, so he had nothing to build his bones and muscles till after they were put in place and lacking.

Regis barks in Bouchard’s ear when the Fort Doberdale Squirrel Posse is tracking the progress of the local squirrel patriach, Clem, or one of his relatives. He also barks in his ear when he finds it necessary. Regis reminds me of a drill sergeant, and Bouchard is the frustrated boot camp soldier.

When I throw the ball for the Posse, Regis gets riled up to the point that he has jumped up at me if I’m on a chair, and grabbed at the ball. He can’t run after the ball, and he wants his turn to hold onto it so everyone can honor him as the ball keepper.

Today was one of those times. I gave him the ball, and with the exception of one finger, the pass off went fairly painlessly. Regis was the honorable Cuz Ball Mann, aka, “The Mann,” and had his time in the sun where the other players tried to figure out how to get the ball back into circulation.

You may notice another Cuz ball in this picture. There may be a half dozen other Cuz balls, but once one Cuz ball is nominated as “the ball,” the other ones don’t count if you’re a player in the big game.

While the other big game players figured out how they were going to retrieve the ball from the Dobergramps, Regis tore into the grass, ripping it out like Macho Mann, and showing his might.

Sometimes, Regis has senior moments and trips over things…like the hose or the threshhold. And other times he gets a look on his face as if he is trying to remember what he was doing. Like today when he was guarding the Cuz Ball, that look suddenly came over his face.

That’s when the others know they can safely get the Cuz Ball back…because he forgot he was guarding it.

By the time he realizes what’s going on, it’s time to start the game over again.

By the way, November is Adopt-A-Senior Month. Seniors are often overlooked, but, with their antics, love of life, and calm natures, are a wonderful addition to a household. They appreciate having a warm hearted person to love and a soft place to rest their old bones. Check our seniors page out for some very lovely adoptable characters looking for love and stability in their golden years.