BILL ANNOUNCES: This is a Special Edition covering a very special event and adoption that occurred this evening, Friday, February 26, 2016. Juana is going to tell us all about it.
JUANA: We haven’t talked about this sweet boy, because we don’t have any space or resources, but we had another rescue. Several weeks ago Liz reached out to me. Liz is one of our friends and contributors of many, many years and she also worked with us. She adopted Lizzy from us and she and her fiancé still have Lizzy. She works as a manager at one of the country clubs near where Bill and I live.
There was a beautiful, friendly dog roaming around the country club and he looked like a purebred German Shepherd. This beautiful boy had a nice collar and no tag. He was running around the country club and everyone was feeding him. He was very friendly, but then he would run away. No one claimed him. Liz was feeding him and she texted me. She wanted us to help him. I told her that we didn’t have any space. I told her that I knew that German Shepherds are easy to place. And, I said that we could at least take him to Morton Clinic and check to see if he had a microchip. She took him to Morton Clinic and he didn’t have a microchip or a tag. He wasn’t neutered and that’s why dogs won’t stay in the yard. She put posters up around the country club and the surrounding area, in the hopes that someone would come forward and claim him. No one claimed him, so I told the staff at Morton to examine him and give him his shots and test him for heartworms. He was heartworm positive. That would make it even more difficult to find someone to take care of him.
At that time, Liz texted me and said that one of the members of the country club, who had helped feed him, fell in love with him and she wanted to adopt him. Liz was waiting to see if the owner would come forward. I told Liz that it would be wonderful, if someone would adopt him. Then we wouldn’t have to bring him to our shelter. I didn’t know where I would put him. He’s such a big, beautiful dog. He’s very friendly and such a sweet boy, but he had heartworm problems and we would have to try to keep him calm. He was staying at the clinic and he got his first heartworm treatment. Liz named him, “Tonto.” I wondered why she named him “Tonto,” which means dumb in Spanish. Then my son reminded me that Tonto was the Lone Ranger’s sidekick.
Kim, who wanted to adopt Tonto, had health problems. She was fighting cancer, but she loved this dog. It worked out for both the family and this sweet boy. I was so happy that such a wonderful couple adopted this dog. Kim recently had surgery, but today was the day that she wanted Tonto to come home. She said she had the strength to welcome him home, but this couple has a female dog. I told her that the dogs would have to meet and we had to make sure that they got along.
JUANA: We haven’t talked about this sweet boy, because we don’t have any space or resources, but we had another rescue. Several weeks ago Liz reached out to me. Liz is one of our friends and contributors of many, many years and she also worked with us. She adopted Lizzy from us and she and her fiancé still have Lizzy. She works as a manager at one of the country clubs near where Bill and I live.
There was a beautiful, friendly dog roaming around the country club and he looked like a purebred German Shepherd. This beautiful boy had a nice collar and no tag. He was running around the country club and everyone was feeding him. He was very friendly, but then he would run away. No one claimed him. Liz was feeding him and she texted me. She wanted us to help him. I told her that we didn’t have any space. I told her that I knew that German Shepherds are easy to place. And, I said that we could at least take him to Morton Clinic and check to see if he had a microchip. She took him to Morton Clinic and he didn’t have a microchip or a tag. He wasn’t neutered and that’s why dogs won’t stay in the yard. She put posters up around the country club and the surrounding area, in the hopes that someone would come forward and claim him. No one claimed him, so I told the staff at Morton to examine him and give him his shots and test him for heartworms. He was heartworm positive. That would make it even more difficult to find someone to take care of him.
At that time, Liz texted me and said that one of the members of the country club, who had helped feed him, fell in love with him and she wanted to adopt him. Liz was waiting to see if the owner would come forward. I told Liz that it would be wonderful, if someone would adopt him. Then we wouldn’t have to bring him to our shelter. I didn’t know where I would put him. He’s such a big, beautiful dog. He’s very friendly and such a sweet boy, but he had heartworm problems and we would have to try to keep him calm. He was staying at the clinic and he got his first heartworm treatment. Liz named him, “Tonto.” I wondered why she named him “Tonto,” which means dumb in Spanish. Then my son reminded me that Tonto was the Lone Ranger’s sidekick.
Kim, who wanted to adopt Tonto, had health problems. She was fighting cancer, but she loved this dog. It worked out for both the family and this sweet boy. I was so happy that such a wonderful couple adopted this dog. Kim recently had surgery, but today was the day that she wanted Tonto to come home. She said she had the strength to welcome him home, but this couple has a female dog. I told her that the dogs would have to meet and we had to make sure that they got along.
I started working at our shelter at 6:00 this morning. Kim and I agreed that we could meet after she got home at 5:00 and after Bill and I finished work. I picked Tonto up at Morton Clinic at 4:30 and Gordie was there to get him for me. Gordie and all of the vet techs said goodbye to him and talked about what a wonderful dog he was. He is such a sweetheart. There he is – he’s so beautiful!
Gordie brings Tonto to the van.
Tonto gets a special goodbye hug, all the staff at Moton Clinic is going to miss this fella.
We put him in a crate and I brought him back to Straydog and I will talk about Bernie later.
Tonto says hi to Bernie who's already in the van.
I put Tonto in Park Two so he could pee and stretch his legs. Then I went to feed and walk Portia and Charlie and give them their medicine.
Once we all arrived back to Straydog Tonto takes a pee-pee break in Park Two.
It was after 6:30 at night, before we could leave the shelter. We got to their house at 7:30 and it was already dark. Kim and her husband were so very nice. Kim was so happy to see Tonto again and she hugged him. It was just so sweet! They put their dog Sophia on a leash, so she could meet Tonto. She never growled or showed any aggression. He lay down as if to say, “I would never hurt you or bother you in your house.” We brought them into their beautiful home and he was just lying there. We talked about his food and his treatment and we completed his adoption papers. I didn’t get all of the pictures that I wanted to get, because it was so dark and I wanted to get on the road. I knew that this adoption was going to work. Both doggies were doing so well together and it was so beautiful. They live near the country club. Then I left and I just got home about 45 minutes ago and my day starts again tomorrow at 5 a.m.
Kim was so happy to see Tonto again, she hugged and hugged him before going to get Sophia.
Tonto looks back at Juana and asks if this is his new home.
Tonto lies down as if to say to Sohpia "I would never hurt you or bother you in your house".
In the house Tonto just lies down on the floor taking it all in.
Once Tonto started feeling comfortable, he got up and roamed around the house. Sophia stayed closed in case he had any questions.
And the home visit finishes off with a wonderful family picture. Congratulations Tonto!
Happy endings, like this, make all of our hard work worthwhile. It is just so rewarding to place a beautiful young fellow like this. He’s only about two or three years old and he has a wonderful forever home and family.
BILL: We’ll be back tomorrow with another report from Straydog.
BILL: We’ll be back tomorrow with another report from Straydog.
You can listen to this report below.