Meals on Wheels Loves Pets Program Helps Savannah Man

Frank Douse, Jr. remembers the day he met his best friend.

“I got him from a friend when he was just an itty-bitty puppy,” he recalls. “He was the only male in the litter and he came and sat right between my legs and looked at me. I knew he was the one for me when he stuck his head under my arm.”

Douse dubbed the pit bull mix Blade after the Wesley Snipes character in the Marvel Comics superhero film and carried him home in his zipped-up jacket. Now 52 pounds, the 13-year-old Blade is officially a senior citizen like the 75-year-old Douse.

With age, however, come complications. Douse has undergone eight back surgeries, a throat surgery, and is a cancer survivor. As a result, he started receiving Meals on Wheels in 2011. Like Blade, he says the meals are there for him.

“Meals on Wheels is important,” he says. “The food is good and the service is even better. And the folks who deliver my meals have a great rapport with Blade, and that means the world to me.”

Meals on Wheels has even been able to offer assistance to Blade through its Meals on Wheels Loves Pets grant program, supported by PetSmart Charities. Dr. Ty Hunt of Savannah Mobile Vet provided a wellness check, vaccinations, and a deworming for Blade.

“Blade has gotten a lot better since he saw the vet,” Douse said. “I’m so appreciative for the service.”

Douse thinks Blade is appreciative, too.

“Blade has such a loving personality, and he lets me know when people are okay,” he said.

“He’s the smartest dog I’ve ever had.”