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How an adopted dog changed our lives
A Day In the Life of a Shelter Dog
by Cheryl L. Anderson

He was born some nine years ago. I expect his mother took good care of him and showed him all the attention and love that he needed and deserved as a puppy. At some point he went to live with another man. It is with this man, the person that was to continue the love, affection and humane care, that he was subjected to his life of abuse. You see he was a Rottweiler and his owner was someone who wanted a macho mean dog. The man assumed any dog could be made to be mean and since Rottweiler’s had such a reputation, it would be easy.

The man decided to send him off to a placed that trained guard dogs. At this place he was deprived of food, beaten and tormented to become mean. Only he wouldn’t get mean. So the man brought him home and stuck him in a kennel with a Mastiff puppy. The dogs were at least given names. The Rottweiler was Buggy and the Mastiff was Truck Together Buggy and Truck spent their days in this 10 x 10 kennel outside with no roof for shade or protection from the weather. Since the kennel was never cleaned, it soon filled with dog manure. The cheapest food the man could buy was poured in on the ground. Needless to say they had to eat spoiled rotten food and sometimes their own manure.

One day a friend of the man was sick and tired of how the dogs were being treated and he turned in the man. The authorities came and took the dogs away to the County Shelter. The man was charged and found guilty of abuse. He kept appealing because he was a good man and took good care of his dogs. Or so he thought. But the judge felt different and he had to give up ownership of the dogs. Buggy and Truck were at the shelter for over a year. In that time, they saw some of their friend’s go home with other people. They hoped that their friends would have a better life then what they remembered. Some of their friends didn’t get to go out the door to a new home. Instead they went for walks with the people who took care of them, but after the walk they never saw their friends again. They assumed the others were just in the another room playing, but they didn't know the real truth.

Finally the day came when the Buggy and Truck were up for adoption and someone could take them home. Truck was adopted to a nice family. Buggy's story really starts here and a change happened in our life that will last forever.

I wasn’t looking for another Rottweiler to adopt, but the shelter staff convinced me I needed to take Buggy. Since my husband and I were showing and raising Rottweiler’s at our kennel, who would be better than us to find a good home for Buggy?

The first day I met Buggy he was laying in his kennel trying to ignore everything around him. When I went in to the kennel to get him he slowly raised his head as if to say, "Oh someone else to look at me, but I know I won’t get to go home". But the collar and leash went on; he was taken in for a bath and into my heart forever.

It took Buggy three years to actually accept the fact he was in a home that loved him. IsZee and Conan were our two Rotts already in our home and Buggy just fit right in. He kept to himself, never asking for attention or begging for food. Everyday we showed him special attention, just hoping he would some day come around. Finally he started to push his way in for treats and to get petted.

Today we have had Buggy in our lives for six years. The other dogs became his best friends and he was sad when they both left us for the Rainbow Bridge. Buggy was there to comfort us during our time of grief. He has become one of the best dogs to share our life. In fact, the adopted one’s always seem to appreciate everything much more.

In March 2001, Buggy was diagnosed with bone cancer. We had to make the difficult decision to remove his left rear leg. Buggy didn’t understand, but in time I think he knew we did what had to be done to save his life. Of course I talked to him about his surgery, and I am sure he understood every word I spoke. We have a system for getting Buggy around. When he wants to come in he barks at the foot of the porch. We go out, he gets up and we place our arms under his pelvis area. We go 1,2,3 and up the steps we go. Buggy has adapted to being on three legs and he holds no grudges. Every night we have Buggy love-up time. This is his private time with us without, Rie, another adopted Rott in our home, also gets her own special love up time.

I know the day will soon come when there won’t be a Buggy to love-up. But he has grown to trust us and most of all to love us. He knows we are thankful for all the time we have together, and whatever time we have left. He is of course spoiled. Every night he gets milk and a dog cookie before he goes to bed, and every morning we have breakfast together. Buggy is my three-legged best friend and I will miss him terribly when I have to say good bye. But at least when Buggy does leave us, I know in my heart that he has had all the love we could give him and I hope he was able to forget the pain and abuse which marked the beginning of his life.

02/21/02
Today is the day I never wanted to come. Buggy had been very strong the last year getting around on three legs. Not easy for a large 112 pound dog. But Buggy managed very well. Over the last several weeks he had lost the will to get up, always just wanting to sleep. But then he started to hold up his right front leg and act as if it hurt, not wanting to put much or any weight on the leg. We tried some medication, only giving him minimal relief. We took him in for x-rays and found out he had arthritis and what appeared to be a cancerous tumor in his right shoulder. After the x-rays, Buggy would cry and whine, something he never did before. We tried to keep him comfortable with additional medication, but my husband and I both knew this morning when we looked in his eyes that Buggy wasn't there anymore. They were only filled with pain.

Buggy has now gone very peacefully to the Rainbow Bridge. I know IsZee and Conan were there waiting for him and will help him with his journey. I just am sad that I will never smell his smell, or feel his soft ears and his thick black coat. I will now have more milk in the house, as Buggy was "the Milk Man". I hope he gets to live on a dairy farm, because he sure loved his milk.

I miss you Buggy, but in days to come I will have comfort that you are no longer in pain and can run and play again. I know you will wait for Mark and I. You will always be by our sides in spirit and most off all in our hearts.

Love to you always, your mommy and daddy.

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