dogs

In the height of the economic slump families were losing their homes and abandoning their loved ones in the process. McCoy has been a victim of this sort of abandonment, but after meeting him I wonder how anyone could leave such a charming individual behind.

McCoy is  9 year old Samoyed living in Echo park, California.Not much is known about his past but we do know he was scheduled to be put down by his shelter. After these dogs have been abandoned they roam the streets as strays or are found living in poor conditions, with dog cracked nose, in their original homes. Because of McCoy’s age and need for expensive arthritis medicine the shelter deemed him to be unworthy of life. Through a series of miracles the Samoyed ended up a resident at a good friend of mine’s home.

Every time I come by McCoy is doing something interesting. He doesn’t stop what he’s doing to greet me but he always makes his way over in due time. In speaking with his keeper I find she has a strong bond with her dog and they communicate in a way that is uniquely their own. She discusses times when he will awaken her in the morning, “He will come up to my face when I’m laying down and wake me up. When he woke me up on my birthday, I told him what day it was and he gave me the biggest kiss ever!”  being that McCoy is not particularly affectionate this is surely exemplary of his ability to sense her feelings and respond.

McCoy has arthritis in his two hind legs so he is not very active , he seems very aloof and it is possible he is suffering from dementia. It’s not an easy undertaking to bring a dog with special needs into your home but at the same time it is not a completely selfless act. The more I listen to his owner talk about him the more I see how McCoy has enriched her life as a companion and even housemate. “There is something about taking care of someone that you know needs you” , she explains about her experience.

I begin to consider the idea that maybe McCoy isn’t the only one that has been rescued here. Certainly they have both been through hard times, and maybe its those times that create common ground between the two. It is this common ground I think that enables them to be so close and is specifically related to the circumstances of their lives. Before you go out and shop for the freshest, youngest pup you can find I encourage you to stop by your nearest animal shelter or rescue and find out if there isn’t someone you can’t find common ground with. In saving an animal’s life you may end up improving yours. Everyone needs rescuing sometimes.