A Happy Tail

Here's a "happy tail" from www.petfinder.com to brighten your weekend!

My husband Ron and I adopted Reggie (renamed Tres) a couple of years ago. He is a wonderful three-legged rottie, missing a rear leg.

Tres game to us as a two-year-old Rottweiler who found himself not only in a high-kill shelter but with a broken leg! They shelter had a splint put on him, but by the time he came in to the rescue 19 days later, it was determined that his leg needed to be amputated. A lady came to the vet and claimed she was the "owner's neighbor" but declined to pay after she was told his leg had been amputated. I assume she was the owner (but too cowardly to say so) and I'm glad she didn't get him back.

It was clear from the get-go that he had been neglected and abused. He was timid and very quiet. Loud noises and the sight of a garden hose sent him running in the other direction. In addition to the multiple scars around his neck, I discovered another scar on his right ear. I was hoping it was ringworm (I have never hoped for ringworm on any animal) because the implications of what it really was were too horrible to imagine. At first it looked like a cigarette burn, but after examining it for a week (hoping it would really be ringworm), it turned out to be from a cigarette lighter. During a visit to the vet, we discovered from the x-rays that he had been shot three times with a BB gun - the BBs were clearly visible on his x-rays. Who would have done this to such a sweet animal?

He has come a long way since then. In general, he has become a much happier dog. He now wags his little nubbin' (tail) much much more--when he sees us, when he plays, when he goes for rides in the car. I gave him a bath on Saturday and brushed him for a half hour, and he was so happy! He has learned how to shake--and properly too--right hand to right hand. He also plays fetch now. He is continuing to learn to play with other dogs. (He has never been aggressive towards them; I just don't think he was socialized enough with other dogs to learn how to play with them.) He continues to be my hiking buddy. He climbs steep hills, over rocks, and is even learning to swim.

We also play games together now. The game we invented is called "To and Fro": He runs and hops up on the couch and barks with happiness/excitement (he never barked before!), I call him and he runs towards me and turns a 180 so he can sit down between my legs. (Trust is having a 95-lb. rottie run at you full speed!) I give him lots of love and belly rubs, then I send him back to the couch to start the game all over again.

I am so thankful to Petfinder, Wing and a Prayer Rescue, and Second Chance Rottweiler Rescue for giving us a chance to bring Tres into our lives.

~Lyn of Livermore, CA