Welcome, Tony!! A very Lucky Pup!!
This is how the story begins...
You may remember that back in April we held a benefit for Lucky Pup Rescue at the studio. I was very impressed with this organization. In the three short years they have been in existence, they have helped find forever homes for over 900 dogs!!
One day while we were driving home from a shopping trip (my husband was driving, I was riding), I was on my phone reading status updates. I saw an ADORABLE image of this dog, Tony, on the Lucky Pup page. His description said he was a Schnauzer mix and would be coming to Maine. They were in need of a foster home. Now, a bit of back story here...I am a pet lover. I LOVE LOVE LOVE dogs! After losing pets to old age, my husband had said no more for a while. Sometimes it takes time for our hearts to heal after losing a pet.
I digress...back to the story....The moment I saw his picture, I knew he was meant to be ours. Strange, I know. But sometimes I think our pets find us. I casually showed my husband the picture at the next stop light. I said "Do you think we could foster him?" I am sure that in the back of his mind, Brian knew that 'fostering' would mean I would adopt the dog. LOL!!
Once approved to be Tony's foster, we were in touch with his foster mom in Texas. Yes, Tony was all the way in TEXAS! He was being treated for heartworm, but would be making his way to Maine. His foster mother, Annie, is amazing! She is so sweet and adores Tony. I learned so much about him from her, even before Tony was here in Maine.
The transport company arrived in NH on May 7th and a Lucky Pup Rescue volunteer picked him up. I met up with them in Maine and met Tony for the first time!!!! He was adorable! Very Benji-esque in his look. We got to know him over the next few weeks, as did our other dogs and cat. We fell in love with this fur-ball and made plans to adopt him.
As if he hadn't been through enough, (a stray, heartworm positive) there was one more twist to his story. The rescue group in TX had noticed that Tony would present an irregular gait on occasion. It was barely noticeable, but they were wonderful to insist we had it checked out before the adoption was final. After a sedated x-ray, the vet called my cell to tell me Tony was ready to be picked up. He also said he was shocked at the findings of the xray.
I got to the vet's office immediately. He showed me the xray, to which I gasped..."Oh my gosh! Tony was shot!" This poor dog had endured a gun shot to his back leg at some point in his life. There were still fragments visible in the xray. His femur was severed in the incident. This amazing dog must have endured so much. It makes me cringe to think of it all. Unbelievably, and without medical attention, his femur healed with a bone-y callous. This leg is shorter than the other and is why his gait is off.
The vet was shocked, and we were all stunned! There is no way to know how or when this happened, but it is clear it happened prior to him being found and part of the two wonderful rescue groups that helped him. To know that this sweet, lovable, trusting dog has been on this journey is almost too much to comprehend. He is one AMAZING dog! As his foster mom from TX calls him, he is "Tony, ONE AND ONLY!"
So, you may be wondering why this is on my photography blog. Well, if it weren't for the Dog Days Event we hosted for Lucky Pup Rescue, I would have never been aware of their tireless work. I would have never seen that first picture of Tony, and would have never had the opportunity to foster and adopt him. I guess you say that I'm the lucky one!
-Thank you Sue, Janet and everyone at Lucky Pup Rescue. I also want to thank Annie, his TX foster mom, and Millicent of Lucky Dog Rescue in TX.
I had the honor to dogsit Tony for a couple of weeks while Annie was out of town and I fell totally in love with him. He is a lucky pup dog, and to still be so sweet after all he'd been through. I am certain he knows how good he has it and shows and accepts love for that every day. Thank you so much for loving our Tony, too. Give him a big kiss for us.
Posted by: Mary Ellen Arbuckle | February 22, 2012 at 07:48 AM
Mary Ellen!
How nice of you to comment. How sweet you got to meet Tony! I just adore this sweet dog, he makes everyday brighter. I am grateful for you, and so many that helped Tony's journey along the way! Thank you!
Joanne
Posted by: Joanne | February 22, 2012 at 10:50 AM