 Don't Kill Bill! My foster dog Bill was one of the worst disasters our rescue group had seen - a puppy mill breeder for two years put out to auction and left with terrible emotional scars. He was so scared of people that he managed to get out of my yard and hide in the woods for THREE WEEKS!
When he was found, he was emaciated and even more terrified, with a wound so deep that you could see muscle. The shelter wasn’t sure if it would be more humane to put him out of his misery or to let me try and rehabilitate him, but luckily they choose the latter. For a month we went to the vet every day to change his bandages, and for three months he was too scared to move.
Of course we adopted him, and I promised him at least 2 hours of fun outdoor activities every day to make up for the two years he spent in the puppy mill. After a year he’s almost a “whole” dog. He still has his quirks, like “begging” to him is sitting on my foot and facing away from me! We hike, visit the dogpark, swim, and drive around together (he loves the car). He also loves other dogs, so we get him his own foster dog from MidAmerica Boston Terrier Rescue as often as possible. Sometimes he teaches them, and other times they teach him. Either way it’s always a good experience.
I didn’t own a dog before we adopted Bill, nor did I know much about puppy mills and how many dogs were in need of desperate help. My eyes are now open, and I want to do more. Recently, I gave Bill his own book company. Happy Tails Books compiles breed-specific and region-specific books full of stories submitted by people with adopted dogs. The books raise awareness of, and donations for dog rescue. Bill’s full story is on the website, as is more information about Happy Tails. The website is http://happytailsbooks.com.
I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to guide Bill through his rehabilitation. He’s my best friend and playmate, and I couldn’t imagine life without him now.
(Photo is Bill with one of his foster dogs, Honey, ready for a night on the town!)
Kyla Duffy
kyla (at) happytailsbooks.com
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