Dog We Have Taken In

For a month Todd saw this dog being mistreated next door to a location Todd frequented and he finally convinced the owner to give it to him. So on March 23 Todd brought it home. This is a photo I took that day - the 'before' photo. The dog was thankful to have food and water and not be chained to a fence. It loves attention and is afraid of discipline. Todd took it to the vet the next day...diagnosed with heartworms, intestinal worms, never had any shots, and never neutered or given any treatment for fleas. So Todd and the vet decided to take baby steps and just kill the intestinal worms so he could gain some weight. In a couple of weeks we'll take it back and get it neutered. I'm not sold on the huge price (more than a car payment) and crating necessary for the treatment of heartworms. I also don't have the patience for training the dog. It is docile and friendly but constantly jumps. We have not named the dog, although 'Apocalypto' comes to mind. So we've been taking the dog on evening walks and he really looks forward to them. It's a sure way not to avoid exercise. He's been trainable on these walks, too, getting used to the leash pretty quickly. When we first brought him home, he was docile and would not even lunge for squirrels or items of interest, but that has changed. He has more energy and tries to pull my shoulder out of its socket on these walks.
This entry would not be complete without me giving a run-down of the animals Todd has saved (that I know of).
-Late 80's - Boots - cat Todd found in woods - given to his grandmother, became her companion for more than 12 years.
- August 1999 - Cocodrie - injured, sick cat Todd found on side of road in Cocodrie, Louisiana, where he was going fishing. Today, Cocodrie is our darling housecat who is always in Todd's lap.
- 2000 - Gray Tabby - injured cat Todd found in middle of intersection of Northside and Ridgewood Roads. We took it to the vet (where our other cats were patients), where it died that night. Later we received a bill for $200 and paid it, although we were incredulous about the boldness of the vet charging us.
- 2004 - Black Kitten - Todd found this tiny kitten licking itself in the middle of Mayes Street and gave it to a vet's office, who found a home for it.
- 2005 - Pit Bull Puppy - At a house Todd was remodeling, Todd found this puppy still in its birth sac yet wriggling, with no mother dog in sight. He took it to a vet who found a home for it.
So, either Todd is in the right places at the right times, or he's just someone who happens to notice animal situations. Although sometimes exasperating, it's one of the reasons why I love him.