(NOTE: Success Stories are written by our adoptive Forever Parents)
In May of 2004 I accepted a new assignment in Dallas, leaving my wife, Stacy, and our two Westies, Lucy and Ethel, in Tampa. Stacy and I decided that we had the ability to bring a new Westie into our home, living with me in Dallas.
We
began to explore the various breeders and other options in the area to acquire a
new Westie when Westie Rescue came to our attention. I contacted Barbara Ott,
with Westie Rescue Austin, and Marvin Katz with Westie Rescue Dallas. Barbara
had a middle-aged Westie boy, named Tucker, who had "behavioral
issues". That was the understatement of the year!
I made the three hour drive from Dallas to Austin to meet Tucker and to determine if I could be his "final and forever" Daddy. Tucker had been abused for 6 years prior to being turned over to Westie Rescue as "vicious". We know Tucker had been beaten and kicked, had been crated for extended periods of time or left in the yard for days at a time. His social skills were nearly nonexistent and his manners atrocious. In his dirty, shaggy little face I saw a wonderful little boy who had never known love, who had never had the opportunity just to be a dog.
Shortly thereafter Tucker came to live with me in Dallas. At first it was extraordinarily difficult - for both of us. Tucker was very frightened, understandably so. His life had been turned upside down repeatedly. First his only home, albeit an abusive one, was taken from him, The time spent in Foster Care was both rehabilitative and frightening, and moving into a new apartment with a new Daddy was no picnic either. Tucker had to learn how to behave in a whole new way, with a new family.
In
those first few weeks, Tucker and I had a number of disagreements. I consulted
doggie behaviorists, daycare providers, Marvin and Barbara, and was introduced
to the Westie Club of Dallas. All of these resources were utterly vital if I was
to be able to be Tucker's "Forever Dad".
To add insult to injury, I was scheduled for a two-week business trip to the West Coast. Tucker and I flew to Florida where he spent those two weeks with his new Mommy and sisters. It was apparent that he was used to being an "only dog" and was unaccustomed to having playmates. His socialization was only beginning.
Stacy and I, from the beginning, were determined to bring out the Good Boy that we knew was inside our frightened little man. Tucker was an amazingly loving, sweet fellow when there were no outside interferences, and was only unsettled when he was not in control of his environment.
Sad to say, Stacy and I were bitten a couple of times. With any animal who has been abused, there are triggers, and sometimes we accidentally "tripped" them for Tucker. Patience and love were the order of the day with him. Tucker is a very "talky" little man and vocalizes frequently. To those who don't know him, he's "growly", but to us, it's easy to tell if he's growling for play, growling out of excitement or growling with anger.
In the nearly two years that Tucker has been in our home, he's undergone two more moves, and has had his Mommy and sisters come to live under the same roof. At first, Lucy and Ethel were cowed by this burly boy, but have come to see him as a playmate instead of a threat.
It
is to Barbara's credit that she did not tell me at the time I adopted Tucker
that I was his last hope. Since Tucker was considered a "behavior
problem" animal, his adoptability was compromised. Had he not come home
with me, he would have been euthanized.
As I write this missive, my faithful companion lies at my feet snoring gently, his sweet face beatific in repose, a veritable angel on four paws. I love each of my Westies equally well, but Daddy's little boy will always hold a special place in my heart. He is testament to the truth that love can overcome all.
By: John Workman