Scruffy McDuffy

The thought came out of nowhere. Suddenly I realized I wanted to get a dog for my son. I'm allergic, but it's ok, I can take a medicine for that. I said out loud, "I want to get Zack a dog." My foster mom said, "No you don't! They are expensive!" But my mind was made up. The next day I went to the animal shelter to look at a beagle I saw on their Facebook page. I had also seen a chihuahua and said, "Ugh- not him." He was in rough shape and anyway I didn't want a shaky little chihuahua. I wanted a beagle. Those long floppy ears and big eyes were enchanting to me. I asked to walk the beagle I saw and was in for a surprise. I did not know they are crazy! At least this one was. As soon as the door opened she bolted so suddenly the leash came out of my hand. Thankfully she stopped to sniff the first tree she saw and I caught her. Lesson 1 for me: Hold on tight to the leash! I held it tight plus wrapped it a couple of times around my wrist. That beagle tried hard to tear my arm off! She jerked me this way and that randomly and even smacked into a parked car because she wasn't paying attention. That was the first time I had seen a car get hit by a dog. And then she barked. Ok, I admit it, I had never heard a beagle bark. Lesson 2: Beagles are loud! I knew she was NOT the right kind of dog for an apartment. Frazzled, I took her back and asked to walk the other beagle. I passed by the chihuahua and glanced at him. I said to him, "I don't want a chihuahua!" The other beagle was just as crazy as the first and I defeatedly returned it to the worker.

I looked again at the chihuahua and I said, "Well, you're a scruffy looking thing, aren't you!" He sat up straight and bright eyed and wagged his tail so fast. I said, "I will walk you, but then you are going RIGHT back into that cage!"

Wow, the difference between him and the beagles was like night and day. He walked so nice on the leash. He never barked. He was perfect. But I wasn't convinced yet. There was a caged area that I could go in with him so we could spend time together off leash. I laughed when he walked up to a big dog and licked him on the nose. Someone who knew about dog temperaments asked if she could look at the dog. I was holding him and said sure and went to hand him to her but she just wanted to touch his feet and ears to see how he would react. He didn't mind at all and she said, 'This is a GOOD dog! If he was aggressive, he would not want me to touch his feet and ears.' I swelled with pride and looked at him with a smile, a little more convinced he was the one, but not quite yet.

Everyone else left the area and it was just me and this little dog the shelter had named Paco. He didn't really want to play but I talked to him and he kept wagging his tail and pouncing around and then he rolled onto his back for a belly rub and won my heart.

But, what to name him? 'Paco' didn't sound right. 'Spot' for the spot on his head? No... I thought about my first reaction to him that he was scruffy looking and decided Scruffy was the best name for him. I said, "So, what do you say, Scruffy, do you want to go home with me?"

I told the worker that I wanted THIS dog for sure. But she gave me bad news- he was still on stray hold until Monday. This was a Friday. They keep strays for 7 days in case an owner comes looking for them. So I had to put him back in the cage. He tucked his tail under and my heart was so sad. I couldn't look at him as I closed the cage. I told him I would be back for him.

I barely slept that weekend. I thought, gosh, he must be so scared with those big loud dogs around him. And then a thunderstorm hit and I felt even worse. Finally Monday morning came and I was at the shelter as soon as it opened, and I had Zack with me, who was 7 at the time.

They took me to the dog room and I looked at the cage Scruffy had been in and it was empty! I said, "Where is he?!" They said he was moved to a different cage around the corner. Whew. I went to the door of the cage and said, "I'm here to bust you out!" Then Scruffy kissed my nose and I put his collar on him and took him out to the office area to pay for him.

Oh, no, what is this? The lady in charge at the shelter is trying to convince me to NOT adopt Scruffy! 'Chihuahuas are not good with kids... This dog needs expensive work done on his teeth... etc.' I assured her I was going home with him and I would figure out anything that came up. Finally she relented and I took my new dog home.

Judging by his teeth, he was estimated to be 5 years old. He was actually a chihuahua mix, I think mixed with rat terrier. He was only 4 and a half pounds and had kennel cough. I didn't sleep that night because he could barely breathe and I couldn't wait for the vet to open so I could take him again, I had already taken him to be checked out but his kennel cough wasn't apparent until he was trying to sleep that night.

Now it has been 8 and a half years and my 13 year old Scruffy is laying here next to me as I type. He has been great with Zack who is now 16. He has had all but one tooth pulled, my dad helped with that cost. He had fallen really sick one year and I almost lost him but finally he recovered fully! He's had a handful of seizures but not for a while now. He is truly perfect. Perfect for my little family and our little apartment. He's so well behaved. He had been relieving himself on my carpets but I started giving him a treat after he would do his business outside and that took care of that situation fairly quickly.

As far as the lady in charge of the shelter, I went back a year later to buy the dog license for another year and I showed her his picture and she said, 'THAT'S the same dog??' I said, "Yup! That's what love can do!' She was humbled, I hope, and the shelter is now under new management and has become a no kill shelter. Hurray!

In closing, Scruffy has been a blessing to us and I know he believes we have been a blessing to him. Please do this in his honor- if you adopt a pet, DO NOT return it to the shelter, DO get it fixed to help the pet overpopulation problem and DO remember that ever time you adopt a pet from a shelter, you actually help 2 animals as it frees up a spot for another animal to be taken off the street. Thank you for reading, and thank you for caring.

Oh, what's that, Scruffy? Really? Ok, he says cats are evil. Lol, whatever Scruffy. Ta ta!