While scrolling through the pages of social media today there was an obvious theme. National Dog Day. Post after post of pet pictures and hashtags. I love pet pictures. How can anyone not love pictures of beloved animals? Any person with a four legged, furry fella knows that they are full of love to give. The genuine kind of love. Are they always honest? Yes. Do they have concern for their humans? Yes. Do they betray you? No. Are they always happy to see you? Absolutely! Well, except for the times they really don't want you to leave and they do things out of spite. Things like poop in front of the door so it smears everywhere when you come home, or pee on the jeans you left in the floor. But they only do it to let you know how much they need you, right? Sure they do. And best of all, do they give you love and attention without strings attached? YES! Have you noticed that a lot of cats aren't like that? I do love cats, but lets face it, felines rule the animals, and some humans, of the house with the looks they can give. Much like momma's rule the kids with the stink eye stare and silence. They will give you love when they are good and ready to, and not a moment sooner. Anyhow, I digress. How incredible is that dogs love you in that way? A being that loves you just to love you. Dogs, if people let them, bring out the best in you. So, in honor of National Dog Day let me share a story and some pictures of our rescue dog, as I am passionate about the importance of rescuing animals instead of buying.
Almost two years ago, I had serious baby fever. Not for a child, but for a puppy. I was googling dog pictures for days when I came across a picture of a Blue Merle Aussie and quickly fell in love. Naturally, the photos had to be downloaded and sent to my husband. Did he want another dog? Nope. Not in the slightest. My oldest had a Chihuahua when I remarried, and for him that was enough. His Aussie of 17 years had passed away almost 8 years prior and it hurt his heart so deeply that he couldn't stand the thought of purposefully going through that again. Majority of the time owners out live their pets, and he was not prepared to go through that loss again. But I was still going to try and persuade him otherwise. After two weeks of cute pictures, talking and begging, I finally gave up. There was no way that he was going to budge, so I commenced to feeling sorry for myself.
Just a few days after giving up, I was driving to pick my daughter up from youth group when fate stepped in. It was dark, and while I was singing to myself and looking at what the headlights would show me, I noticed a vehicle ahead of he hit something and keep going. As I turned toward the church I noticed that the object hit was a dog. My heart skipped a beat, but thankfully he was laying down, but still holding his head up. Obviously I had to stop. After seeing he could not walk and had no tags, I loaded him up into my husband's truck and continued on my way, picked up my daughter, and went home. There was a brief hour where he jumped out of the truck in my driveway and ran off on three legs into the dark, but thankfully I found him again. Upon inspection it was obvious he was covered in fleas, his paw was split, his face and shoulder were swollen from where the car clipped him, and he was incredibly scared. My husband had quite the surprise waiting in our office when he came home. He completely agreed that I could not have left him, but I was to take him to the vet first thing in the morning and the beautiful blue eyed boy could only stay two days at our house. Yes, he had blue eyes. Because he was a Blue Merle Aussie. Now how crazy is that?! After my husband went into the room to assess the dog's state, it became obvious that he was very scared of men. And that he had a horrid UTI. He peed every time my husband went near him, and when I say "pee" I mean puss. It was awful. His hair was brittle, he was malnourished, there was no brightness in his eyes. The poor thing looked absolutely pitiful. Luckily, the vet determined nothing was broken, but he needed strong antibiotics for the infections and his paw had to be cleaned at least twice daily and after every potty trip, and he also needed to gain some weight. He wasn't chipped, so there was no one to contact, and no way of knowing what (if any) shots he had been given so we made sure he received those as well. There were only two options at the vet's office. One, we pay for his care and take him home. Or two, they call a shelter and they would try to place him. It took about two seconds to choose. He needed a lot of attention and endless amounts of love, so he was coming home with me. Now, what was going to happen to him when we reached the end of my husband's time frame?
When the two days were up, the poor thing was still sickly, had to be kept in the office so he wouldn't put repeated pressure on his paw, and only allowed to walk when it was time for a bathroom break. The wood floor stayed covered with dead fleas falling off of him. I swept that room no less than five times a day. He also still cowered in fear at my husband and peed all over the floor if he tried to pet him. The fear in his eyes was absolutely heartbreaking. My husband came into the office to discuss the next step with the poor thing and I immediately began crying. But there was no need for worrying. He said "No way is this dog going back to any kind of person that had him before." We were on the same wavelength. There was no way of knowing how well he would be treated, unless we were the ones to do it. It took over two months for him to stop peeing around my husband, much longer for other men, and about a six months for him to become territorial of our home and family.
Not a day goes by that we regret our decision to keep him. After having him, I am positive that rescue dogs love more deeply than any other. He has known the hellish side of humans, and I believe he loves us even more than a purchased dog would because of that. If you are considering a pet, please visit your local shelters and rescue groups first. Consider saving a pet that has no home and desperately needs one. You don't have to take one home, just go see what animals they have. Check often. Sadly, they are never in short supply.
Now, here are my pet parent pictures of our rescue dog, Jax!
"I like smiling. Smiling's my favorite."
He loves naps in the middle of the day.
He is so well behaved and sits when asked.
Playing fetch is almost an obsession.
He also takes after my kids and gets tired of my constant picture taking.
