October Pet of the Month
We poked around for a little over a month when we first decided we were ready for a dog. We had some bad luck and missed out on a couple dogs and hit the shelter when it had just been emptied (a good thing cause so many pups had been adopted but unlucky for us!) So although not a true believer in fate I have to think Wally was meant for us and we were made to wait on purpose.
I came across him on the anti-cruelty website and had a gut feeling we just had to go see him that day. So we went at lunch and by 1pm we were on our way home with our new forever companion.
At 4 months old, Wally was severely underweight; we could see his bones and vertebrae and he had very low energy. We took it easy with him the first week and let him come out of his shell naturally. We knew at the shelter he was a sweet loving boy, but as weeks went on it was obvious we had a wonderful, tender little pup that only wants to please us and everyone he meets.
It was really hard when we first got him to take him on walks because he wants to stop and say hi to everyone he meets, but unfortunately he had a respiratory infection and it broke our heart to keep him away.
Now he is as healthy as ever. He has put on 20 pounds (he’s almost six months old now) and goes to the dog park and on walks and runs almost every day. Lisa, his dog walker comes twice a day and brings him homemade beef jerky and helps keep us updated on his mood and milestones. It’s truly awesome to have someone take care of him during the day and get him exercise and companionship so he’s not alone when we’re at work.
As you may see from the pictures he’s quite a unique looking fellow. We get stopped on the street all the time as people ask what he is. We have to politely say that we’re not exactly sure, but his paperwork says he’s a Shepard-Lab, and we think he has some hound in him too. He is more than happy to stop and say hi to people and dogs of all ages. The only creatures that I think may not like him are the poor birds and squirrels he chases that torment him from the trees.
We couldn’t have asked for a better dog. Our little hyena brings joy to our hearts every day. He has picked up sit, stay, down and paw very fast and we’re excited to get him more training in the coming weeks.
Thank you for making Wally Pet of the Month!
-Laura and Robert