Cooper has only a few hours left before his scheduled euthanasia.
The 10-year-old senior Golden Retriever spent weeks looking relatively normal whenever people saw him standing at the front of his kennel.
To most visitors, Cooper simply looked like an older dog who was quieter and less active than the others.
Then a veterinary examination revealed something much more serious.
Cooper has heart disease and advanced arthritis.
Those medical needs made finding an adopter or rescue placement more difficult inside an already overcrowded shelter.
Now Cooper cannot remain standing for very long.
But when he has enough strength, he still pulls his blanket toward the kennel door, lowers himself onto it, and rests with his muzzle between the bars.
When someone stops, his tail still moves.
Cooper Looked Like a Quiet Old Dog Until the Veterinary Exam
For weeks, there was little about Cooper's appearance at the front of his kennel that immediately showed visitors how medically fragile he was.
He was older.
He was less active.
But Cooper could still stand at the front of the kennel.
People passing by saw a senior Golden Retriever who simply seemed quiet.
A veterinary examination eventually revealed that Cooper was dealing with heart disease as well as advanced arthritis.
No additional diagnostic information was provided.
The severity and type of Cooper's heart disease, his medications, diagnostic results, and veterinary prognosis are unknown from the information available here.
What is clear is that his medical problems affect his daily life.
And now, with only hours remaining before his scheduled euthanasia, Cooper can no longer stay on his feet for long.
He Still Pulls His Blanket Toward the Kennel Door
Cooper spends more time lying down now.
But he does not always remain farther back in the kennel.
He takes his blanket and begins pulling it toward the gate.
For an arthritic 10-year-old dog with heart disease and increasingly limited stamina, even that small task requires effort.
Cooper works the blanket forward until it reaches the front.