05-15-2010, 05:17 PM
Hi everyone,
I've already tried finding a new home for this dog on petfinder and other sites, but no'one is apparently interested. He's a "rescue story", detailed below. It just occurred to me to give Corky a try as a last option, even though it's a longshot. So, here goes...
I know he's ugly, but he's a sweetie!
I am looking for a new home for one of my dogs. He's NOT homeless - he can stay with me for the rest of his life, and I am fully prepared and willing to continue caring for him. However, he is not very well suited to my lifestyle and home situation and, frankly, I think he would have a better, happier life in a more appropriate home. I didn't seek out this animal, he found me.
Here are the particulars:
Age: Approximately 18 months. I have had him for exactly 1 year.
Breed: Mixed Mutt. I got a home DNA test for him (PDF results available) and he's got several breeds. Dalmation, American Staffordshire Terrier (pitbull), and pinscher are just a few. He looks like a generic kind of dog, pictures attached.
Weight: 75lbs
Height: From paws to tip of ears, 2ft 8 in.
Temperament: This dog is very bouncy and full of energy. He's bursting at the seams with life and passion. Despite his age, he acts like a puppy -- all he wants to do is play and play and play. He can play fetch for hours, and he loves to run. He has TONS of energy. He has not ONE SHRED of aggression in his nature. He loves all people and other animals. A total stranger literally could walk up to this creature and stick their hand in his mouth while he was eating and he would only wag his tail. He was mistreated at some point, as he still cringes if you make a sudden move towards him, but he's really not a shy animal. He's extremely sweet. He doesn't have many teeth, so he has a very "soft" mouth when you play with him. Loves to play fetch and be pet and scratched. Despite being what I consider a large dog, he is extremely good natured and friendly. This dog does NOT have any aggression issues whatsoever. He is so bouncy, my cats don't like him very much and they've scratched him a few times, but he's never bitten them or reacted -- he just gives them extra space now. I have a little chihuahua who has a fiesty streak. In the beginning, she would jump at him and snap and growl and bark and be aggressive -- basically because his size terrified her (She's actually quite sweet normally). Anyway, the big guy never even paid her any attention, he just ignored her. One of my friends brought his big dog over once, and that dog got very aggressive, snarling at my dog. He just wagged his tail and tried to play with the dog! It's like he doesn't even understand it when another animal is being aggressive. He's been well-socialized with all sorts of people, and I've never once seen him react with anything but excitement and delight when he meets a new person. This is a big, dumb, doofy dog, who just wants to be loved.
Medical Info: He has had all his vaccinations, is heartworm negative, has a 6 month supply of heartworm preventative and frontline plus flea protection. He has been neutered and has no medical problems that I am aware of except for some bald patches in his coat, and overall thin coat growth (explained in his story).
Items that come with him: A nice outdoor doghouse, a big indoor crate, lots of toys, heartworm and flea meds, and several large bags of premium dogfood.
Terms: If you are seriously interested and you live anywhere on or close to the East Coast of the USA, I will drive him to your location. If you are interested and live outside of that area, but still in the lower 48 states, I will have him shipped at my own expense directly to you. That said, I will only give this dog to the perfect home. That is, he needs someone that knows how to handle a big, strong dog and give him plenty of exercise. He would be ideal for someone who wants to take him jogging frequently. Do not underestimate the energy of this animal. I will need to talk with you about all the particulars and I will need reasonable assurance that he is going to a good home. My other request is that if you adopt him and things don't work out, that you will contact me and return him to my care rather than putting him in a shelter. The dog itself and everything else is free. This is not about money at all, I just want to make sure he has the best life he can have in his 2nd density journey.
His Story: I came home one day to find him pressed tightly against the side door of my house. He was in HORRIFYING condition. He had severe mange covering at least 70% of his body. His head was so bad that he reminded me of a Klingon, or maybe snakeskin. He had lesions and welts all over his belly and neck and head. His skin was cracked and bleeding, oozing pus everywhere. His paws were so full of sores that he whimpered when he walked. He was also severely malnourished, you could see his bones through his thin skin. I'll be honest, he looked like a monster when I first saw him he was in such hideous condition. I have 3 other dogs -- 2 20lb rat terriers and a 10lb chihuahua. So, to my eyes at the time, he was shockingly big.
I didn't know why he was there, but I figured he might live nearby somewhere in the woods. I really didn't want to get involved with him at first, and I had to leave for the weekend that evening, so I just put a little food and water down and then left, hoping he would be gone when I returned 3 days later. That weekend, I couldn't stop thinking about him, hearing his whimpers. I saw a bit of a telenovela that weekend and learned a saying that translates into something like "It is not for us to choose the challenges we want to face, but rather we must face with integrity those challenges that we are called upon to face." I took that as a synchronicity. When I returned he had moved to the back door of my house but was pressed up against the door. I decided then and there that if he was still there in the morning, that I was going to take him in and heal him. Sure enough, the next morning he was under my car.
So, almost exactly one year ago, I adopted him. The vet worked with me, but I had to take him in for 18 treatment dips over 3 months in a special bath to treat his mange. They did skin scrapes every few weeks until he tested negative for the mange. I got him tested for heartworms (he was negative) and so put him on heartworm preventatitve, and also antibiotics due to all the secondary infections. I applied skin cream to his belly and legs twice a day for months. He took vitamins, and slowly but surely began to recover. His height didn't change much, but he gained about 25 pounds while in my care. His skin healed and he got to where he could walk without whimpering and was no longer in constant pain. I made sure he got all his required vaccines and got him neutered after he had recovered. Now he looks very good, but his coat is still very thin and he has bald patches (especially on his head) that I fear will never grow back in. He was basically living in my backyard -- I got him a nice covered doghouse and put it inside an old chicken coop that I had, which and a big open "scratch yard" for him to wander around. Eventually, it got too cold so I got him a crate and moved him indoors into the house so he could sleep there at night and stay inside when it was cold. Now that it is warm again he's mostly outside, but I still bring him in to sleep every night. He just stays in his crate which is beside my bed so he can see the other dogs and cats and people and feel like he is with his "pack".
Why I am looking for a new home: I never wanted a large dog, and I certainly wouldn't have sought one out. But this little being needed me, and so I helped him. I am no fool -- when I took him in it was with the understanding that I could have him for the rest of his natural life. I made that commitment to him in good faith, and I still mean it. However, I had hoped that once he recovered I would be able to find him a good home. After he was in good shape medically, I posted him on various pet adoption sites, but nobody was interested. I think the bald spots may give him a "junkyard dog" kind of quality that people don't like.
I have 3 little dogs, and he really likes to play with them. However, I can't leave him with them alone because he is so bouncy, he hurts them sometimes, completely by accident. He falls on them and steps on them, and if I'm not there to supervise and make sure he doesn't step on them, I invariably hear a "yelp" from the other room. I have issues with the cats as well, since he is big enough to reach into their feeding area, and despite the fact that he does NOT go near the cats, they really don't like him since he was so bouncy in the beginning. They generally leave the room when I bring him in the house to play with his toys and have some inside "wacky" time. I am not a jogger or a runner. I take him on a walk every day, but to be honest with you I view it as more of a chore than a pleasure. I am just not into walking dogs on a leash... my little dogs follow me with no need for a leash, but he's too big to walk without a leash. I really do try to play with him as much as I can, but I feel bad that he's not getting enough exercise and stimulation. In the evenings, I usually just want to relax on my deck and look at the trees, but I still get up and play fetch with him for at least 1/2 hour before that, annoying as it can be sometimes. He can't help being bouncy and wanting to play! So, I do the best I can. In short, he's kind of incompatible with my household, but I'm doing the best I can. I really think he'd be a better "only dog" or maybe be better off if the owner had other large dogs that he could actually play with. Don't get me wrong, I think his life here with me is not that bad compared to many dogs, but I know I am not really the right kind of owner for him. I'll keep him as long as he needs a home (for the rest of his life, if need be), but if I can find him a better home, then I feel I owe it to him to make it happen.
For whatever reason, this little 2nd density entity clearly wanted to LIVE. I feel he must've given a soul call and somehow he was guided, perhaps by nature spirits or higher dimensional beings, to my little country home. I mean, I had the money, time, and space for him, and God knows the universe has been kind to me over the years when I was in some bad situations. So, it was sort of my duty to take him in. This being wanted to live, and to thrive. How could I say no? Nevertheless, I still think he'd be happier somewhere else, now that he's healed.
I'm just going to end this post with some pictures...some current pictures of him I took this afternoon, and also some old shots for contrast. You can see how much he's healed up with the before and after pics.
From today, my chihuahua just came outside and he is racing to meet her, my wife is just about to drop the leash since he lunged suddenly:
![[Image: Action1.jpg]](http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae21/miflemagoo/Dog/Action1.jpg)
Shot from last year and today merged together. Notice the mange & bloody infections on the neck and head and how much better it looks now:
![[Image: Contrast.jpg]](http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae21/miflemagoo/Dog/Contrast.jpg)
Sniffing along this afternoon in pursuit of who knows what...
![[Image: Action2.jpg]](http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae21/miflemagoo/Dog/Action2.jpg)
Look at his poor Klingon head last year. Now it is totally bald, but the skin is smooth and painless:
![[Image: Head.jpg]](http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae21/miflemagoo/Dog/Head.jpg)
The mange and sores were all over his belly last year. Now he has a smooth "pink belly pink belly pink belly!":
![[Image: OldBelly.jpg]](http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae21/miflemagoo/Dog/OldBelly.jpg)
Settling in for the night, I caught him in mid-yawn. Notice not many teeth:
![[Image: Yawn.jpg]](http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae21/miflemagoo/Dog/Yawn.jpg)
Shot from this afternoon. I had to hold him so his wiggles wouldn't prevent you from seeing him clearly:
![[Image: Front.jpg]](http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae21/miflemagoo/Dog/Front.jpg)
If you are interested or have any questions, please post up here or send me a PM.
Love to all!
I've already tried finding a new home for this dog on petfinder and other sites, but no'one is apparently interested. He's a "rescue story", detailed below. It just occurred to me to give Corky a try as a last option, even though it's a longshot. So, here goes...
I know he's ugly, but he's a sweetie!
I am looking for a new home for one of my dogs. He's NOT homeless - he can stay with me for the rest of his life, and I am fully prepared and willing to continue caring for him. However, he is not very well suited to my lifestyle and home situation and, frankly, I think he would have a better, happier life in a more appropriate home. I didn't seek out this animal, he found me.
Here are the particulars:
Age: Approximately 18 months. I have had him for exactly 1 year.
Breed: Mixed Mutt. I got a home DNA test for him (PDF results available) and he's got several breeds. Dalmation, American Staffordshire Terrier (pitbull), and pinscher are just a few. He looks like a generic kind of dog, pictures attached.
Weight: 75lbs
Height: From paws to tip of ears, 2ft 8 in.
Temperament: This dog is very bouncy and full of energy. He's bursting at the seams with life and passion. Despite his age, he acts like a puppy -- all he wants to do is play and play and play. He can play fetch for hours, and he loves to run. He has TONS of energy. He has not ONE SHRED of aggression in his nature. He loves all people and other animals. A total stranger literally could walk up to this creature and stick their hand in his mouth while he was eating and he would only wag his tail. He was mistreated at some point, as he still cringes if you make a sudden move towards him, but he's really not a shy animal. He's extremely sweet. He doesn't have many teeth, so he has a very "soft" mouth when you play with him. Loves to play fetch and be pet and scratched. Despite being what I consider a large dog, he is extremely good natured and friendly. This dog does NOT have any aggression issues whatsoever. He is so bouncy, my cats don't like him very much and they've scratched him a few times, but he's never bitten them or reacted -- he just gives them extra space now. I have a little chihuahua who has a fiesty streak. In the beginning, she would jump at him and snap and growl and bark and be aggressive -- basically because his size terrified her (She's actually quite sweet normally). Anyway, the big guy never even paid her any attention, he just ignored her. One of my friends brought his big dog over once, and that dog got very aggressive, snarling at my dog. He just wagged his tail and tried to play with the dog! It's like he doesn't even understand it when another animal is being aggressive. He's been well-socialized with all sorts of people, and I've never once seen him react with anything but excitement and delight when he meets a new person. This is a big, dumb, doofy dog, who just wants to be loved.
Medical Info: He has had all his vaccinations, is heartworm negative, has a 6 month supply of heartworm preventative and frontline plus flea protection. He has been neutered and has no medical problems that I am aware of except for some bald patches in his coat, and overall thin coat growth (explained in his story).
Items that come with him: A nice outdoor doghouse, a big indoor crate, lots of toys, heartworm and flea meds, and several large bags of premium dogfood.
Terms: If you are seriously interested and you live anywhere on or close to the East Coast of the USA, I will drive him to your location. If you are interested and live outside of that area, but still in the lower 48 states, I will have him shipped at my own expense directly to you. That said, I will only give this dog to the perfect home. That is, he needs someone that knows how to handle a big, strong dog and give him plenty of exercise. He would be ideal for someone who wants to take him jogging frequently. Do not underestimate the energy of this animal. I will need to talk with you about all the particulars and I will need reasonable assurance that he is going to a good home. My other request is that if you adopt him and things don't work out, that you will contact me and return him to my care rather than putting him in a shelter. The dog itself and everything else is free. This is not about money at all, I just want to make sure he has the best life he can have in his 2nd density journey.
His Story: I came home one day to find him pressed tightly against the side door of my house. He was in HORRIFYING condition. He had severe mange covering at least 70% of his body. His head was so bad that he reminded me of a Klingon, or maybe snakeskin. He had lesions and welts all over his belly and neck and head. His skin was cracked and bleeding, oozing pus everywhere. His paws were so full of sores that he whimpered when he walked. He was also severely malnourished, you could see his bones through his thin skin. I'll be honest, he looked like a monster when I first saw him he was in such hideous condition. I have 3 other dogs -- 2 20lb rat terriers and a 10lb chihuahua. So, to my eyes at the time, he was shockingly big.
I didn't know why he was there, but I figured he might live nearby somewhere in the woods. I really didn't want to get involved with him at first, and I had to leave for the weekend that evening, so I just put a little food and water down and then left, hoping he would be gone when I returned 3 days later. That weekend, I couldn't stop thinking about him, hearing his whimpers. I saw a bit of a telenovela that weekend and learned a saying that translates into something like "It is not for us to choose the challenges we want to face, but rather we must face with integrity those challenges that we are called upon to face." I took that as a synchronicity. When I returned he had moved to the back door of my house but was pressed up against the door. I decided then and there that if he was still there in the morning, that I was going to take him in and heal him. Sure enough, the next morning he was under my car.
So, almost exactly one year ago, I adopted him. The vet worked with me, but I had to take him in for 18 treatment dips over 3 months in a special bath to treat his mange. They did skin scrapes every few weeks until he tested negative for the mange. I got him tested for heartworms (he was negative) and so put him on heartworm preventatitve, and also antibiotics due to all the secondary infections. I applied skin cream to his belly and legs twice a day for months. He took vitamins, and slowly but surely began to recover. His height didn't change much, but he gained about 25 pounds while in my care. His skin healed and he got to where he could walk without whimpering and was no longer in constant pain. I made sure he got all his required vaccines and got him neutered after he had recovered. Now he looks very good, but his coat is still very thin and he has bald patches (especially on his head) that I fear will never grow back in. He was basically living in my backyard -- I got him a nice covered doghouse and put it inside an old chicken coop that I had, which and a big open "scratch yard" for him to wander around. Eventually, it got too cold so I got him a crate and moved him indoors into the house so he could sleep there at night and stay inside when it was cold. Now that it is warm again he's mostly outside, but I still bring him in to sleep every night. He just stays in his crate which is beside my bed so he can see the other dogs and cats and people and feel like he is with his "pack".
Why I am looking for a new home: I never wanted a large dog, and I certainly wouldn't have sought one out. But this little being needed me, and so I helped him. I am no fool -- when I took him in it was with the understanding that I could have him for the rest of his natural life. I made that commitment to him in good faith, and I still mean it. However, I had hoped that once he recovered I would be able to find him a good home. After he was in good shape medically, I posted him on various pet adoption sites, but nobody was interested. I think the bald spots may give him a "junkyard dog" kind of quality that people don't like.
I have 3 little dogs, and he really likes to play with them. However, I can't leave him with them alone because he is so bouncy, he hurts them sometimes, completely by accident. He falls on them and steps on them, and if I'm not there to supervise and make sure he doesn't step on them, I invariably hear a "yelp" from the other room. I have issues with the cats as well, since he is big enough to reach into their feeding area, and despite the fact that he does NOT go near the cats, they really don't like him since he was so bouncy in the beginning. They generally leave the room when I bring him in the house to play with his toys and have some inside "wacky" time. I am not a jogger or a runner. I take him on a walk every day, but to be honest with you I view it as more of a chore than a pleasure. I am just not into walking dogs on a leash... my little dogs follow me with no need for a leash, but he's too big to walk without a leash. I really do try to play with him as much as I can, but I feel bad that he's not getting enough exercise and stimulation. In the evenings, I usually just want to relax on my deck and look at the trees, but I still get up and play fetch with him for at least 1/2 hour before that, annoying as it can be sometimes. He can't help being bouncy and wanting to play! So, I do the best I can. In short, he's kind of incompatible with my household, but I'm doing the best I can. I really think he'd be a better "only dog" or maybe be better off if the owner had other large dogs that he could actually play with. Don't get me wrong, I think his life here with me is not that bad compared to many dogs, but I know I am not really the right kind of owner for him. I'll keep him as long as he needs a home (for the rest of his life, if need be), but if I can find him a better home, then I feel I owe it to him to make it happen.
For whatever reason, this little 2nd density entity clearly wanted to LIVE. I feel he must've given a soul call and somehow he was guided, perhaps by nature spirits or higher dimensional beings, to my little country home. I mean, I had the money, time, and space for him, and God knows the universe has been kind to me over the years when I was in some bad situations. So, it was sort of my duty to take him in. This being wanted to live, and to thrive. How could I say no? Nevertheless, I still think he'd be happier somewhere else, now that he's healed.
I'm just going to end this post with some pictures...some current pictures of him I took this afternoon, and also some old shots for contrast. You can see how much he's healed up with the before and after pics.
From today, my chihuahua just came outside and he is racing to meet her, my wife is just about to drop the leash since he lunged suddenly:
Shot from last year and today merged together. Notice the mange & bloody infections on the neck and head and how much better it looks now:
Sniffing along this afternoon in pursuit of who knows what...
Look at his poor Klingon head last year. Now it is totally bald, but the skin is smooth and painless:
The mange and sores were all over his belly last year. Now he has a smooth "pink belly pink belly pink belly!":
Settling in for the night, I caught him in mid-yawn. Notice not many teeth:
Shot from this afternoon. I had to hold him so his wiggles wouldn't prevent you from seeing him clearly:
If you are interested or have any questions, please post up here or send me a PM.
Love to all!
:-/
