DEAR ABBY: My mother is getting up in years. Because of a multitude of health problems, she will soon have to enter a nursing home. She currently lives in her own home with her dog, "Skippy," and is facing the problem of what to do with Skippy when she has to move.
Skippy has growled at people in the past, including children, and has a brief biting history, which limits Mom's options and makes it impossible for her to bring the dog with her to a group nursing home. We're unable to take Skippy on because we're at our legal limit, according to the laws of our municipality, and we know of no one we can place a dog with such issues with. Any ideas? -- NEEDS A HOME FOR NIPPY SKIPPY
DEAR NEEDS: Contact the dog rescue groups in your area. Perhaps they can locate a home for an older dog -- I assume Skippy is older -- in a household where there are no children. It's regrettable that your mother didn't socialize her pet when it was a puppy, because it would have made it easier to keep Skippy with her.