Ozzie

Meet Ozzie.  He's an approximately 11-month-old American English Coonhound.  You may be familiar with the breed from the popular {and adorably strange} website Maddie On Things.

Ozzie and his brother were found almost starved to death, covered in fleas and ticks, when they were only 6 months old.  They had been eating rocks to survive.  The most likely scenario is that they were backyard-bred by a hunter and when the pups proved to be gun-shy, they were dumped.  Apparently this happens quite commonly in the area.

Here is the part where I implore you to consider a rescue dog if you are thinking of getting a dog.  Even if you have your heart set on a purebred, there are hundreds of purebreds in shelters.  Ozzie is a purebred.  There are even rescue groups dedicated to specific breeds.

Ozzie's brother was adopted not too long after they arrived at the shelter, but Ozzie was there for nearly 4 months.  He was out of time and through the power of social media, he found us.  We have been wanting to adopt a second dog for over a year now, but various circumstances prevented us from doing so.  Once we knew we were moving to a new place with a fenced-in yard, we knew it was time.  And there was Ozzie.

We are taking things a day at a time.  He's learning us and we're learning him.  Our Jakey-boy has been very patient with a rambunctious, curious younger fellow.  Ozzie is very underweight, so we're working with our vet to get him healthy and strong.  He's learning how to be a good boy on the leash so that he can go on nature trail walks.  Mainly, we are showering him with love and food and a comfy, cozy place to sleep.  Which is something that every dog deserves.

If you have the space in your heart, your home, and your wallet, please, please, please go the rescue route.  You get to save two lives: the dog you bring into your home and the dog who can stay in the space your dog opened up at the shelter.  And you get a lifetime of love and gratitude from a sweet puppy boy like our Ozzie.