SC animal shelter mascot dies

AIKEN, S.C. (AP) — The dog who became the mascot of the Aiken County Animal Shelter after two failed adoptions has died.

The Aiken Standard reported ( http://bit.ly/oMCoTZ ) that the boxer-chow mix named Rudy died Thursday after being sick for three months with illnesses including arthritis and deafness. Shelter vet tech Sandy Larsen says Rudy was more than 11 years old.

She says Rudy was about 6 months old when he came to the shelter, which adopted him out twice. But each time, he grieved for the shelter and was returned.

Rudy was the shelter’s official greeter and was a hit at assisted living homes, where he wore sunglasses.

He’s buried on the shelter grounds with a cross on the grave, and a marker has been ordered for the burial site.

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Information from: Aiken Standard, http://www.aikenstandard.com