I was walking through the humane society, surrounded by the barking and howling of shelter dogs. I watched as they jumped at the cage doors, whined, climbed over each other and stared at their human visitors in desperation. I imagined each of them were hoping today was the day they'd leave their cage for good. I wasn't sure about what exactly I was looking for. But I didn't need to know - he knew what he was looking for! And he found me.
His name was Andy. He was a 3 year old "owner surrender" who spent his life tied up in a backyard. The reason for his surrender? "The other dogs didn't like him." Health issues unknown. Diet: Anything. Good with kids? Yes. Housetrained? Unknown, tied outside. Vaccinations: No. In other words, he was the typical owner surrender. A dog, once an adorable little puppy, grew into something that required responsibility. Someone's possession and not a family member. A thing that was tied up that didn't eat until someone remembered to feed him.
I guess what attracted me to him was that he wasn't like the other dogs, barking and whining for someone to pick them. Instead he was slumped on the floor of his kennel, his eyes fixed in a daze. "Can I see him?" I asked. The friendly volunteer grinned and headed toward Andy's cage. "You know," he said, "This guy doesn't do much. He just lays there."
Hooked to a training leash, the dog approached me with a slow-wagging tail. He sat in front of me and gazed up at me with the softest brown eyes. I knelt down before him and in an instant my heart melted. Something told me he was special. He slumped onto his back waiting for a belly rub. I laughed and gave him some rubs. As I chatted with the volunteer about his surrender information, the dog sat back up and gently shoved his head into my chest and over my shoulder as if he were trying to hug me.
My 2 year old son, Sean, reached out to pet him and the dog's reaction sold me. He gently gave Sean a lick on his cheek and dropped onto his back.
Thanks to the movie, Finding Nemo, Andy is now named Bruce. He is a 3 year old Bloodhound/Catahoula Leopard Dog mix (had him DNA tested!) with severe hip and elbow dysplasia. He has gone through laser therapy (which I will happily blog about) and is on glucosamine supplements. He is a very happy hound dog.
You'll get to read more about Bruce and others like him in this blog. :)
