Rugger

Rugger was seized from his former owner. Fortunately, they did bring neglect charges and the asshole was found guilty. The fine was a slap on the wrist, but the court costs and boarding fees tacked on a healthy sum. Best of all, the dog was removed from the owner permanently. Rugger (not his former name) had virtually no hair when he was seized and his body was infested with mange. He was being kept in a basement on obviously concrete floors with no bed, so he has the calloused elbow joints and pressure spots to show for it. He was said to be about six years old. I would guess a little older, but that may be due to how rough his life has been. Rugger has been in a shelter since last October and he's come a long, long way, with veterinary care, nutrition, and love.

When I see a dog like Rugger who looks me directly in the eye, I'm reminded of the saying that "the eyes are the window to your soul." A dog who looks you directly in the eye is baring his soul to you while taking the measure of yours at the same time. No dog ever had a reason to shield his from view, few people can say the same.

Rugger came through this, and compared to many dogs, he's the lucky one because he got out of a bad situation. His body may always carry some scars, but his sweet personality, his dogness, survived intact and he just looks forward to the next throw of the tennis ball.

Rugger knows sit, down, and shake, probably thanks to the shelter staff who have cared for him over the past five months or so.

He's got an arched back and a rather weak rear end, probably due to lack of muscle tone and undoubtedly some arthritis. He's got on wonky ear giving him a rather sweet and goofy look. But, when you've got a ball in your hand he looks as earnest and eager as any young pup and he runs for that ball like it's his life's mission. He really doesn't have any trouble getting around and I expect he will get better as he gets more exercise.

Rugger seems to have been an only dog, and I guess we should be glad that no other dog had to endure what he did. But his dog-on-dog social skills were never well developed. We have lots of potential to work on that around here and I expect he will improve, but he'd probably be happiest as an only dog and being the undisputed center of someone's attention. He deserves that too.

Rugger is available for adoption through Promises Animal Rescue. He's now been neutered and brought up to date on vaccines. After what he's been through, we will be extra careful about where he goes.