My husband and I have two female Bull Terriers, and one (Scout) is the Alpha dog - big time! We never, ever considered having three dogs. Then, approximately a year ago, I became involved in Bull Terrier Rescue.
My role was pretty passive: I would pick up a rescued B.T. from a foster home, an animal shelter, or veterinary hospital, then transport the dog to a foster home. My husband, John, made me promise when I became involved in rescue that I would never bring home another dog. All went well until July 9, 2007, when I picked up a B.T. named Chuckie at an animal hospital.
Five months earlier, on Feb. 21, 2007, while crossing a divided six-lane highway, Chuckie had been hit by two cars; neither driver stopped. But fortunately, a Good Samaritan picked him off the pavement and took him to a wonderful animal hospital. The poor little guy had a broken left front leg and broken right hip, but he was all heart. We will never know Chuckie’s history, as he had no tags or microchip, and no one made any attempt to claim him. (By the way, the Good Samaritan thought Chuckie was a Jack Russell terrier; he was that skinny.)
Given the circumstances of this seriously injured homeless dog, one could not fault a veterinarian for choosing to euthanize. Instead, Dr. C. turned to his staff and said, "Let’s stabilize him."
Five days later, Chuckie’s medical chart read as follows: Not able to urinate on his own… No stool produced… eating well… panting and tense… blood on thermometer… not ambulatory but attempts to walk… sling on right hind leg (broken hip) and splint on left front leg (broken elbow)… multiple skin wounds… tapeworms.
Anita, a technician who was not working the day Chuckie arrived at the animal hospital, recalled seeing him the very next day. She couldn’t believe her eyes: this skin-and-bones white dog was gauzed and had tubes coming out of all orifices. She added that those first few days, when this poor guy had to be suffering so much intense pain, he never once growled or attempted to bite anyone attending to his medical needs.
Another technician, Ken, offered this vignette: Since Chuckie was not able to urinate on his own, the vet told his staff, "If this dog can’t urinate on his own within the next few days, he will have to be euthanized." The tech said it was as if Chuckie understood the deadline, because a day or so later, he was urinating on his own.
Over the next few months, Chuckie underwent hip and elbow surgery, and was neutered. His recovery was slow and steady. By the way, B.T. Rescue was never charged a dime for his care! By the end of July, the vet and his staff concluded they had done all they could for Chuckie and it was time for him to move on. Everyone at the animal hospital loved Chuckie, but no one was able to give him a home.
One day, Anita got on the Internet and discovered Bull Terrier Rescue, and that’s when I began receiving emails from Melanie, one of Bull Terrier Rescue’s East Coast coordinators. Would I pick up two B.T.s and relay them to Kingston, N.Y.? From there, Sally would drive the dogs two hours north of Kingston, where they would board at a kennel, since no foster homes were available. Reggie, the other B.T., was at an animal shelter on Long Island and Christina, another member of B.T. rescue, would pick up Reggie and meet me at Chuckie’s animal hospital. (By the way, the folks at the hospital had been calling the Bull Terrier in their care "Bully," but just before we left the clinic, Christina’s son John renamed him Chuckie.)
Before leaving the animal hospital on July 9, I was given a list of instructions for Chuckie’s care: walk him three times a day for no more than 10 minutes at a time; avoid stairs; and no running or hard play. Total recovery time was estimated to be 10 to 12 months.
Driving home, I thought to myself, this poor little guy cannot go to a kennel. I knew a kennel environment would undo all the good that had been done to this plucky guy. And besides, he was so docile… so sweet! Reggie, the other B.T., barked nonstop for the first 30 minutes of the ride, while Chuckie just sat in his crate and totally ignored poor Reggie’s anxiety. I realized I could not live with myself if I let Chuckie go to a kennel. So I called my husband and explained Chuckie’s plight. I concluded by saying, "I know I promised never to bring home another Bull Terrier, but we must give this dog a foster home." I added that, given Chuckie’s demeanor, it wouldn’t be hard to find him a good home. Although he wasn’t thrilled, John reluctantly agreed.
When I arrived home, my husband met a skinny bull terrier who was not able to put full weight on both front legs when he walked, and put no weight at all on the hind leg with the broken hip. He held that almost withered hind leg off the ground when he walked – or should I say, hopped. His surgery scars were still quite visible and the hair was just starting to grow back where he had been shaved for surgery.
Alpha dog Scout was less than thrilled with the new addition. It took a good month and a great deal of work to get her to accept Chuckie. Our other female, 5-year-old Maddie, found Chuckie to be interesting, and most likely got his drift that he was not an Alpha male. (As for Reggie, the other rescue I picked up that fateful night, he eventually went to a wonderful foster home and learned to become a gentleman. He now resides outside Syracuse and loves his new home.)
My husband said that Chuckie had the sweetest eyes that just seemed to penetrate into his heart and soul. I recall the night John said we should keep him. We were in the kitchen; John was standing with his back to the kitchen counter, and Chuckie was standing there next to him. (Due to his injuries, Chuckie rarely sits.)
"Given what Chuckie has been through and his special needs, as well as the fact that he is so sweet and such a buddy, he needs a special home. I’m convinced no one could give him a better home than we can. I want to keep Chuckie."
In less than two weeks, we became foster failures because we decided to keep Chuckie. We love him to death and he has enriched our lives. I wish more people would become involved with rescuing dogs in need, and I urge anyone who loves dogs to consider becoming involved.
Even if you can’t foster, you can be part of a relay team, or you can donate money to a rescue group (to locate groups near you, go on the Internet and type in, for example, Boxer Rescue). And please consider giving a helping hand to your local animal shelter. They often need foster homes for special-needs dogs, and donations of money, old crates, blankets, towels, food, and other necessities are greatly appreciated.
