Zim's Adoption Story

Tail wags, everypup! It's me, Stormy. I read our dear friend Althea's blog yesterday morning and it just made the fur on my back stand up! Please check out the full post at the link provided above - but it boils down to some neighbors of theirs shaving their Siberian Husky and keeping him outside all the time! Althea lamented about this guy being shaved & neglected (and provided a great link to reasons why you should NOT shave your Sibe!) and actually said some mighty nice things about my little brother/puppy Zim in the process. We were all quite touched by Althea's kind remarks (Zim is still blushing) and so very saddened to hear about the condition of their neighbor-dog.
Perhaps it was good that our cable/internet went out; it's given me time to calm down and collect my thoughts. There were some great comments posted on Althea's blog between yesterday and this morning. I especially like what Sammy, Andy and Roxie barked, "Such morons! We aren't huskies but we know enough that you don't shave them! And double morons for not letting Bob in the house. Doggies are social animals and need to be around others." Such truth out of those Dachsies!
I guess in the vein of "a picture is worth a thousand words"... let me ask do you know the ghost of a dog in this picture?

Any guesses? That was when he was first picked up by a "good Samaritan" off the streets. He tried to care for him for a couple weeks, but this guy (Scout, as he was called) had also had no social interaction, as per the Dachsies' comments. Nor had he ever been in a house. :/ He was dumped at the shelter.
When my mom and dad found out about this (within hours of "Scout" being dumped), they flew to the shelter to try to spring him. Their rules are such that "Scout" had to be there for 5 days, in case his "real" owner was looking for him. Understandable, but a tad frustrating. :( Mom and dad visited him every day until he could legally come home so I could give birth to him. At that point, he looked like this:

At least his coat started to darken up a little. It had been totally sun-bleached, broken, and ... shaved.
Look at how tiny his waist was! The poor guy had never been in a house (he had been chained to a tree for his whole life, based on the scarring around his neck), never been socialized, never been on walkies..... and, as mom and dad learned from the vet, was clinically anorexic. Because he was half starved and so malnourished, he just couldn't even EAT!
He was pretty scared of people, women especially, so mom and dad took it real slow with him. They lined up a vet appointment for him ASAP - complete physical and to have him neutered. He had to be gone for 3 whole days and that was horrible! He was only here one or two days, but me and Amber really took to him - we missed him like crazy! Here we are greeting him after he got home:

Pretty scrawney and scared, huh? But he was still cool. I told him, "Don't worry, pup! I'll teach you all the ways of the Siberian! AND the rules of the house!" (He was pretty wild inside, to say the least!) Ammy told him, "I love you, little guy! I'll teach you how to love and trust and that there is good in the world!"
He couldn't even rest when he got here. I'm not normally the snuggly type, but here he is catching some zzz's on my hip.

Amber even tried taking kibble out of her own bowl and giving it to him - but his tummy was so tiny, it was an accomplishment if mom or dad could get him to eat 5 tiny chunks.
Yeah... do you think you know who this is now? It's been amazing what Amber's love, mom and dad's patience (etc.), good vet care, nutritional food, exercise, social interaction, being an indoor pup, my leadership and training, ETC. have done for him. Our favorite vet (well, who am I kidding, they're all our favorites!) told mom he is a Miracle Dog - they didn't really think he'd make it.
Of course, the scrawny wild guy pictured above became the handsome, healthy Sibe you know as Zim!

That's what he looked like by that winter. And of course, 5 months after I gave birth to Zim, Dave showed up - and he taught him how to play. :)
So you see why I was so upset reading about Althea's neighbor pup. I don't want to see anypuppy have the kind of life my Zimmie-pup had! Maybe Althea's neighbors will see how much happier and healthier Althea and Lares are and will follow the good example their bipeds are setting.
Tail wags, everypup.
Storms