THE STORY OF A SHELTER DOG

Hello everybody,

Today a nice story about a dog whose life was not a always a walk in the park...

I'm a dogaholic and I don't want to be cured. I'm really crazy about dogs : I love their wet noses, their wagging tails, the story in their eyes, their antics and their eternal optimism.

A sign I am an overly obsessed dog-lover ?

Well, whenever I reach into my pocket, doggy treats remnants fall out in addition to my keys, some loose change, and tissues.

You see, the diagnosis is quite clear : I'm a dog addict in every respect, and it's no use trying to kick that addiction, cause it runs in the family!

My love for dogs is so deep that whenever I hear the phrase " It's a dog's life ", I can't help thinking about my sweet Charly.

That poor dog was not born under a lucky star, and before we met, he had gone through a lot of rough patches, and had experienced quite a few whammies...

A couple of months after his birth, Charly left his mum and his littermates, and settled down in his new home.

Puppies are always upbeat, meek and friendly, and Charly was ready to bond with his foster parents and enjoy the place.

Unfortunately his new owners were away all day long, and to make sure he wouldn't make a mess inside, guess what!

They tied him with a rope to a stake in the middle of a tiny yard!

The only thing he could do was to pull the short rope and walk in small circles!

Of course, the poor innocent dog thought there was a misunderstanding, and started barking all day long to ask for help.

In vain! Not a single dog-speaking soul around to understand his message. Just neighbours tired of his whining claims, and about to file a complaint.

So, what was to happen, happened . The too Noisy Charly was taken to a dog shelter and abandonned there among a pack of desesperate dogs, all in the same boat.

To get adopted the competition was fierce, and when there were visitors, everydoggy gave it their best shot.

That's how one day a couple of elderly people got a crush on Charly and took him to their place.

Charly was thrilled to bits and ready to love them to the moon and back.

Bye bye the gloomy shelter, the scary row of metallic cages, the deafening barking, bye bye a dog's life!

A future of cuddles and treats was ahead of him.

But once more, his happiness was short-lived.

Four days later, he was back to square one...

Actually, when put on leash for a walk, the poor dog had done what he had been used to, when tied with a short rope to the stake in the tiny yard : he had walked in small circles, then, of course, tangled his leash around the lady's legs and nearly knocked her over.

After  risky journeys to the park, his new owners had realized they were too old to teach him how to walk nicely on leash, and had driven him back to the shelter.

They were heart-broken, but so was Charly!

After those two failed adoptions, he lost his zest of life, and got sick with sadness.

He spent days facing the grey wall of his cage, and didn't even beg for potential adopters' attention any longer till...Mother's Day 1996.

On that day, I was feeling ready to fill the void my first dog had left when he had passed away ten years before. At the time I had cried my eyes out, and sworn I would never have another dog, but...never say never!

That's how I met Charly. He looked so depressed that , first I was a bit reluctant to adopt him, but once taken out of his cage, I couldn't resist his hopeful dark eyes, and that was the beginning of a long love story!

So you see, in a dog's life, every dog has its day, so never give up hope, and don't forget :

                                            BE PERKY