We were part of a group here in ATL called Angels Among Us that rescues lost furry children. We were fostering larger dogs and one came to our lives that eventually became my best friend. Ty was around 5 when we got him, badly abused and left to die alone, trapped in a small fenced yard. His paws were raw from trying to dig his way out, his teeth were ground to nubs trying to chew through the fence. When we got him, he was unable to control his bladder and needed to wear doggy diapers until his system was rid of the parasites causing his bladder issues.
He constantly growled at people, but not in a malicious way, more of just trying to talk to people, but his size (he was 75 lbs of skin and bones when we got him) put more off than was willing to give him a chance. Our other family dogs (we had 3 others at the time) also didn't take to him, leaving him isolated in the crowd.
Somehow he was different around me, and I could see him smile when he "chatted". He was big, clumsy, and a bit of an outcast, but we bonded while I nursed him back to health taking nearly 6 months. That Christmas, my wife gave me an envelope with his official adoption papers listing me as his "dad".
Over the years his mood softened, the family also bonded with him, he was part of the family for 8 years.
Last year his health turned, he had difficulty walking, couldn't climb the stairs to go out side and his appetite dropped. We took him the the vet, but the prognosis was poor, maybe a month... we also discovered that while he was trapped in his prison, someone had shot him, the bullet still in his abdomen. He stayed with us for a few more months, but his pain was too much and we had to say good-bye, letting him have final peace.
One the day he passed, we talked to some friends who had lost their son a couple years earlier, and Ty's passing was on their son's birthday. The had promised him a puppy, but never had the chance to get him one. Now my dog is with their son, who's name was Taylor (or Ty for short)...
I still miss that dog...
He constantly growled at people, but not in a malicious way, more of just trying to talk to people, but his size (he was 75 lbs of skin and bones when we got him) put more off than was willing to give him a chance. Our other family dogs (we had 3 others at the time) also didn't take to him, leaving him isolated in the crowd.
Somehow he was different around me, and I could see him smile when he "chatted". He was big, clumsy, and a bit of an outcast, but we bonded while I nursed him back to health taking nearly 6 months. That Christmas, my wife gave me an envelope with his official adoption papers listing me as his "dad".
Over the years his mood softened, the family also bonded with him, he was part of the family for 8 years.
Last year his health turned, he had difficulty walking, couldn't climb the stairs to go out side and his appetite dropped. We took him the the vet, but the prognosis was poor, maybe a month... we also discovered that while he was trapped in his prison, someone had shot him, the bullet still in his abdomen. He stayed with us for a few more months, but his pain was too much and we had to say good-bye, letting him have final peace.
One the day he passed, we talked to some friends who had lost their son a couple years earlier, and Ty's passing was on their son's birthday. The had promised him a puppy, but never had the chance to get him one. Now my dog is with their son, who's name was Taylor (or Ty for short)...
I still miss that dog...
