15/06/2023
There are some dogs that you will always remember. For me, Lobo is one of them.
He was turned in to animal control by his owners when he was 8 years old because he had skin problems. (Turns out it was just allergies and a yeast infection that was remedied with shampoo and some medication.)
The rescue group was made aware of him, and was able to tag him with literally 3 minutes to go before the deadline, otherwise he would have been euthanized. I picked him up at animal control, and he was just a slow moving, plodding old man who just looked completely exhausted.
I ended up taking him home with me for a little while because the person I was meeting was not off work yet. When I got home and opened the back of the vehicle he stood there, surveying the neighborhood, looking every inch an Anatolian Shepherd. He still looked tired, but he didn't look as defeated.
Lobo had a chance to decompress in my yard for a bit, then came into the house and just stood there with his head on my knee while I petted him. I remember feeling how scraggly his coat was, and how thin his body was behind his shoulder blades, and my heart just broke for him. When he decided to lay down, he chose a place in the hall where he could see the front door, the back door, and me on the couch, and fell asleep for a little while. After his nap we went to meet the next person in the rescue chain.
A week later, I got to see him again when he needed his bath. It took two of us two hours to brush and bathe him, and I have to say that I got just as drenched as he did! He was an absolute sweetheart, and seemed to have more spark in him, and I was just happy to see him again. And a few days later, when his foster-to-adopt home was chosen, I got to take him on the first leg of his transport journey to his new home.
I cried when he loaded up in the next person's vehicle and they drove away with him. Lobo had touched my heart, and it broke a little bit when I had to say goodbye. 💔
Then, 6 months later, as I was driving out to California to visit family for Christmas, Lobo's mom offered to meet me on the way so I could see him again. It was amazing to be able to see him as he should always have been - happy, healthy, and loved.
This is why I volunteer for rescue. ❤️🐾❤️
